| Biden says U.S. economy key to Central American recovery |
| By Patrick Fitzgerald Tico Times Staff | editorial@ticotimes.net |
U.S Vice President Joe Biden promised to listen to the region's concerns, but did not budge on two issues of importance to Central America – immigration and Cuba – in a meeting with President Oscar Arias and other Central American leaders in San José on Monday. Speaking to the press after what he called a refreshingly honest, "worthwhile" discussion at the Casa Presidencial with Costa Rica President Oscar Arias, Biden said the United States would support initiatives to bolster the staggering economies of the region but stressed that the biggest hurdle would be to get the U.S economy back on track. "It cannot work for Latin America unless our economy begins to grow," Biden said, asking for "patience and forbearance" from Central American leaders. The economy overshadowed many of the other issues that the leaders discussed, including immigration and drug trafficking. Still, Biden promised an increase in funding for Central American nations under the anti-drug Merida Initiative from $65 million to $110 million, but said immediate action on immigration would be politically difficult under current economic conditions. On Cuba, the vice president stopped short of condoning an end to the U.S.'s 47-year-old trade embargo on the island nation, but said the United States would enter "a period of transition" in its relations with Cuba. "We take responsibility for our own future," said the former chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, continuing, "We take responsibility for knowing that our own actions drastically impact – disproportionably impact, sometimes – what happens in Central America." Arias, who opened the press conference by saying that the Obama administration appeared to be putting together a "Good Friend Policy" toward Latin America – a hallmark to former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's regional "Good Neighbor Policy" – smiled when a reporter from the business daily La República asked Biden if the Costa Rican president was becoming something of a spokesman between Central America and the United States. But Biden, who said his government was "in listening mode," said the United States was seeking strong bilateral ties with every country in the region. "We don't need any interlocutor," Biden said. "We want direct, immediate and personal contact with each of the leaders, each of the countries in the region." |
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