Latin American Summit on Migration to Be Held in Chiapas

On Wednesday, the Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), confirmed the participation of Cuba, Colombia, Honduras, Haiti, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Guatemala in the upcoming migration summit scheduled to take place in Chiapas on Sunday.

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This meeting will be attended by Prime Minister Ariel Henry (Haiti) and presidents Miguel Diaz-Canel (Cuba), Gustavo Petro (Colombia), Xiomara Castro (Honduras), Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela), Guillermo Lasso (Ecuador), and Alejandro Giammattei (Guatemala).

AMLO stated that there is still no confirmation regarding the presence of the leaders of El Salvador, Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama. He emphasized his intention to shape a regional migration proposal to present to President Joe Biden of the United States in November.

"We can achieve a lot if we help each other. This meeting is called 'For a Fraternal Neighborhood and Pursuit of Well-being.' So, let's see what we can do together and how we can assist each other," he said.

The Chiapas meeting will occur amid an unprecedented migratory flow through Central America. In September, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that up to 16,000 migrants arrive at Mexican borders daily.

"The meeting is of utmost importance because this is a problem that could worsen. It is concerning because the number of migrants is growing, and we need to address it. We must address the root causes and not just think about walls or militarizing the borders," the Mexican president said.

When asked if he would request Latin American presidents to stop migrants before they reach Mexico, AMLO mentioned that all governments are doing their best to address migration.

"In all cases, there is an interest in helping migrants. However, many countries are going through economic hardships, lack budgetary resources, and are dealing with conflicts."