Other nations must protect their children
Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras haven’t done enough to stop families from arriving at America’s doorstep
Like most Americans, I’ve been disgusted over the Trump administration’s practice of holding migrant children in cages – hostages of a political tug-of-war between Republicans and Democrats.
But I’m equally incensed with the government leaders of Central American countries where most of the migrant children detained in recent weeks come from.
Where have they been during this humanitarian crisis that is borne out of their inability to rein in violence and poverty?
Thank goodness for the benevolence of so many American souls whose vocal outrage forced Trump Wednesday to end his zero tolerance policy of ripping children from their parents’ arms.
Otherwise, who knows what would happened to these children – among them babies and toddlers – if left to the whims of their country of origin.
The tepid response from the governments of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to the migrant crisis felt like the plunging of the dagger deeper into the wounded souls of those forced to flee.
Yes, government officials called out the U.S.’s separation of families as a violation of human rights.
Mexico’s Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray urged the U.S. government to end the policy, calling it “inhumane” and “cruel.”
Guatemala’s president Jimmy Morales said that the “nobility and greatness of a country is at stake” while El Salvador and Honduras expressed concerned.
So, what else? Not much, folks. How can anyone possibly justify the halfhearted response of these countries, whose policies pushed the immigrants to risk their lives and end up in cages in a foreign land?
This humanitarian, political and legal battle is far from over. And these Latin American countries must take
responsibility for their own people.
On Wednesday, Trump abandoned his crusade of ripping children from their parents but otherwise continued his aggressive policy to criminally prosecute anyone caught attempting to cross the border illegally.
The outcry reached a crescendo after reports disclosed that nearly 2,000 kids have been separated from their parents during the past few weeks. People in America went crazy, demanding the end of the practice.
The national mainstream media flocked to the Texas border where the majority of these kids were being held, some in makeshift jails called Tent Cities. People took to the streets and to their phones calling their lawmakers.
The outcry crossed political lines, dominating network TV coverage and front covers of newspapers.
A scan of newspapers and social media in Mexico and Central America tell a different story. While most did have front-page coverage of protests against the Trump government, there really wasn’t a sense of outrage over their own countries’ role in creating the crisis.
And I can see why.
Most of the children detained in recent weeks came from Central American countries, many of them seeking asylum because of gang and other types of violence.
Clearly, the governments of Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and yes, Mexico, too, are failing to protect their own people from gang and drug-trafficking violence. They’re failing to provide jobs and education that would remove the motivation – the desperation – to take the treacherous trek to the United States.
Clearly, the governments of Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and yes, Mexico, too, are failing to protect their own people from gang and drug-trafficking violence. They’re failing to provide jobs and education that would remove the motivation — the desperation — to take the treacherous trek to the United States.
And it’s equally infuriating to see how these countries are still failing their own people detained at the border.
Where are the consulates in the United States from those countries? They might be doing their work but my goodness, they must be doing it in secret because they are hard to find on social media and other outlets.
It’s not too much to expect consulates to do at least these things:
❚ Set up telephone hotlines to answer questions,
❚ Try to identify the immigrants detained, ❚ Offer legal services and
❚ Tell people about it.
The bottom line: We must hold the Trump administration accountable to treat asylum seekers and other immigrants humanely. But we must also demand the governments of Mexico and Central American countries take care of their own.
Elvia Díaz is an editorial columnist for The Republic and azcentral. Reach her at elvia.diaz@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8606. On Twitter, @elviadiaz1.