US Agrees to Help Northern Triangle Countries to Generate Jobs

The United States has agreed to help create employment opportunities in Northern Triangle countries as part of a bid to stem the inflow of immigrants from the region.

Under the agreement, the US will finance skill development and employment development programs in three countries, including Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

The US has not clarified as to how it will promote employment in the region.

Mexico, which taken over the task of generating jobs on behalf of the US, has requested the White House to set aside at least $100 million a month for employment programs. according to Mexico News Daily.

Mexico wants the US to give US$86 million per month for Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life), a rural employment development program, and $22 million for the “Jovenes Construyendo el Futuro” (Youths Building the Future) apprenticeship scheme.

Together, the programs will benefit nearly 350,000 young people in the three countries, paying $360 every month to each participant.

The apprenticeship scheme will provide training and financial support to the young people for a period of two years. According to the report, the programs, scheduled to begin sometime next year, will involve as many as 5,000 “workplaces”.

The United States is struggling to cope with a huge surge in the number of immigrants at its southern border with Mexico. Security agents detained more than 212,000 immigrants in the month of July alone, the highest monthly figure in more than 20 years.