Latin America Today

The Trump White House just sent its first budget to Congress. It calls for a huge 35 percent across-the-board cut in U.S. assistance to Latin America. It also calls for construction of new border wall with Mexico. WOLA Program Director Geoff Thale discusses the devastating implications such a cut might have on U.S. relations with the region. This aid cut is far from guaranteed to pass: we explain what the next steps are in Congress.

With the goal of addressing the violence and economic hardship driving migration from the region, Congress approved $750 million in aid for Central America for 2016, and $655 million more for 2017. What is in these aid packages? Which countries are getting what? What do U.S.-funded programs propose to do? Are they achieving their goals?

On May 17 WOLA, together with partners from the region, will launch the Central America Monitor, a data-rich effort to answer these questions. WOLA Senior Associate Adriana Beltrán tells us what to expect.

WOLA Program Officer Sarah Kinosian is just back from a weeklong research visit to Honduras. We discuss arms trafficking, police reform, gangs, drug trafficking, migration, U.S. assistance, and Honduras's own reform efforts, looking for evidence that anything is "working."

WOLA Senior Fellow Jo-Marie Burt closely monitors Guatemala's judicial effort to hold military personnel accountable for crimes committed during the country's civil war. Despite pushback, prosecutors, investigators, and civil society are making progress.

Jo-Marie posts frequent updates about Guatemala's human rights trials to the Open Society Justice Initiative's International Justice Monitor website at www.ijmonitor.org/category/guatemala-trials/

U.S. statistics showed a sharp drop in migration from Mexico, and especially from Central America, in February. WOLA's Adam Isacson, Maureen Meyer, and Hannah Smith talk about what is happening and what now awaits migrants who seek asylum or refuge.