Central America seeks US$20b to revitalise troubled region

[GUATEMALA CITY] Three of the poorest, most violent Central American countries want US$20 billion over the coming years to lift their economies with new roads and better education to curb illegal migration into the United States, according to a plan obtained by Reuters.

The document was given to US President Barack Obama in April at a Panama City summit by the governments of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala after a flood of child migrants from the three countries overwhelmed the southern US border last year.

Foreign ministers from those countries will go to Washington on June 16 to discuss the proposal with US officials, according to people familiar with the matter.

The spending plan aims to revitalize one of the poorest and most dangerous regions in the world, and it seeks to raise growth by up to 3.5 per cent and create 600,000 jobs.

REUTERS