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1 1 (January 3, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govyvo0001 and id is 1 raw text is: lfrrg theleikiedb src.11 S Updated January 3, 2019 U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America: An Overview Introduction Instability in Central America is one of the most pressing challenges for U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere. Several nations-particularly El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras in the Northern Triangle of Central America- are struggling with widespread insecurity, fragile political and judicial systems, and high levels of poverty and unemployment. The inability of Central American governments to address those challenges effectively has had far-reaching implications for the United States. Transnational criminal organizations have used the Central American corridor for a range of illicit activities, including the trafficking of approximately 90% of cocaine bound for the United States. Central America also has become a significant source of mixed migration flows of asylum seekers and economic migrants to the United States. In FY2017, U.S. authorities at the Southwest border apprehended nearly 163,000 unauthorized migrants from the Northern Triangle. More than 63% of those apprehended were unaccompanied children or families, many of whom were seeking humanitarian protection. These flows have continued over the past year, with some migrants banding together in large caravans to make the journey. The Obama Administration determined that it was in the national security interests of the United States to work with Central American governments to promote economic prosperity, improve security, and strengthen governance in the region. It approved a new, whole-of-government U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America and requested significant increases in foreign aid to enable the strategy's implementation. With congressional support, U.S. assistance to Central America more than doubled from $338.1 million in FY2014 to $753.7 million in FY2016. The Trump Administration has voiced support for efforts to promote prosperity and security in Central America but has sought to significantly scale back U.S. assistance to the region. Congress has rejected the majority of the Administration's proposed cuts, appropriating $699.7 million for the Central America strategy in FY2017 and an estimated $626.5 million for the strategy in FY2018. Funding Since FY2016, Congress has appropriated an estimated $2.1 billion for the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America. The assistance has been roughly evenly divided between traditional development programs focused on good governance, economic growth, and social welfare, and security and rule-of-law efforts intended to prevent violence, reform justice-sector institutions, and combat gangs and organized crime. Some 41% of the aid has been appropriated for the Northern Triangle nations, and 3% has been appropriated for Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. Congress has appropriated the other 56% to regional programs, such as the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) (see Figure 1). Country-by- country breakdowns are not available, but the vast majority of funding for regional programs appears to have been allocated to the Northern Triangle. Figure I. Funding for the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America: FY20 I 6-FY20 19 $MILLIONS, CURRENT $800 $4dor $627 $600 m Guatemala $436 Honduras $400 *Other Countries CARSI $200 SOher Regional Programs FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 Est. Req. Sources: U.S. Department of State, Congressional Budget justifications for Foreign Operations, Fiscal Years 2017-2019; U.S. Department of State, FY 2018 653(a) Allocations - FINAL, 2018; and the explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 115-141. Notes: Other Countries includes Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. CARSI = Central America Regional Security Initiative. President Trump occasionally has threatened to cut off aid to the Northern Triangle countries. He has significant discretion to do so with funds Congress appropriated in FY2018, since the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141), placed a ceiling on aid to the region but no floor. The act also empowers the Secretary of State to suspend and reprogram some aid if he determines the Northern Triangle governments have made insufficient progress in addressing various legislative conditions (see Conditions, below). FY20 19 Request The Trump Administration's FY2019 budget request included $435.5 million to continue implementing the Central America strategy. If enacted, assistance to the region would decline by 30% compared to the FY2018 estimate. The request included $45.7 million for El ttps:I/crsreportsszongressgo,

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