Kamala Harris visits Latin America on first foreign trip as United States vice-president
- Harris had to switch planes after a technical issue forced Air Force Two to return 30 minutes into the flight on Sunday afternoon
- Harris is looking to deepen diplomatic ties with Guatemala and Mexico, two nations key to US efforts to stem the spike in migration
Harris, who was switching planes after a technical issue forced Air Force Two to return 30 minutes into the flight on Sunday afternoon, is seeking to secure commitments for greater cooperation on border security and economic investment, but corruption in the region – a far more intractable challenge – will complicate her efforts.
It’s already had a significant impact on her work in the region. Harris has yet to engage substantively with the leaders of Honduras and El Salvador, who are both embroiled in corruption scandals. And it’s an issue that experts in the region say will need to be addressed to make any lasting changes.
“Corruption is a cancer in the region,” said Jason Marczak, director of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Centre. “Addressing corruption is fundamental to creating hope and creating the potential for opportunity.”
Marczak noted that corruption in the region affects human rights protections, employment opportunities, the cost of goods and much more. Jobs, he said, will come “with investment, and investment comes where there is certainty in the rule of law.” Without that, efforts to improve living conditions can only go so far.