Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that fighting impunity, strengthening democracy and respecting rights is key. In the opinion of two analysts, the message is clear: that Washington has changed priorities and that the Salvadoran government is being watched.
The US Secretary of State. U.S. President Antony J. Blinken announced he was holding a call with his Salvadoran counterpart, Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill Tinoco.
In it, he called on him to fight corruption and impunity, in order to strengthen the relationship between the United States and El Salvador.
In a statement posted on the State Department’s website, the U.S. equivalent of the Chancellery, Secretary Blinken’s spokesman noted the call between the two and the main issues that were touched upon, including which highlights the elimination of corruption.
“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with El Salvador’s Secretary of State Alexandra Hill Tinoco today,” the institution reported yesterday.
In the discussion, he states that it was addressed how the two countries can contribute to find solutions to the structural causes that motivate thousands of Salvadorans to choose each year to emigrate undocumented and irregularly to the United States.
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This is consistent with Joe Biden’s line of administration for the Northern Triangle, a subregion made up of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The US government. UU. It seeks to reduce the flow of migrants through the economic, institutional, democratic and security strengthening of Central American countries.
That is why, according to the State Department, Blinken stressed the importance of eliminating corruption and fighting impunity in El Salvador. This is a key pillar of the so-called Biden plan for Central America, which includes sanctions for officials involved in corruption.
This commitment, which the United States seeks to motivate in the region, also extends to democratic institutionalization. In the call, according to the statement, the US chancellor called on the Salvadoran government to “protect and strengthen democratic institutions.”
This contrasts with the administration of former President Donald Trump, who set aside democracy and supported through then-Ambassador Ronald Johnson the Bukele government unconditionally, even in the most questionable moments. In response, Bukele was a staunch supporter of Trump’s questionable and draconian immigration measures.
And despite this support for a Bukele that is increasingly moving towards authoritarianism, in May 2020 the State Department under Trump realized how the Salvadoran government was weakening democratic institutions. Proof of this, they said at the time, was the military takeover of the Legislative Assembly on February 9 last year. They also noted attempts to silence the independent press.
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Therefore, Blinken has made it clear that respect for human rights, as well as the fight against corruption and impunity, will be fundamental pillars for the bilateral relationship and for ensuring peace and prosperity in the region.
On the call, Chancellor Hill Tinoco said on Twitter that “a wide range of issues of mutual interest were addressed, such as investment, migration, the rule of law and security.” In addition, he expressed a commitment to strengthen the relationship.
This, however, is not at its best. In Washington, Bukele’s abuses of power are increasingly condemned and, as a result, he failed to arrange a meeting with Biden administration officials on a recent express visit to the US capital.
For Leonor Selva, our Time candidate for a deputation and expert on international issues, it is noteworthy that the conversation was on the phone, following the Biden team’s refusal to meet with Bukele.
“This formality is an indirect message to the Government of El Salvador that the ‘special treatment’ or ‘favoritism’ that Trump established towards (Bukele) will no longer continue and that the Biden administration will expect the relationship to be more formal and clinging to law. “, Selva opined.
He also said that the emphasis is clear that El Salvador must strengthen its “fight against corruption, respect for the rule of law and respect for human rights (…) issues that will have equal weight for the US “From now on, and that will be issues that El Salvador must respect and prioritize in order to maintain good relations between the countries.”
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For Funde CEO Roberto Rubio, the signal is compelling: Washington has “changed its chip” and the priority is to defend democracy and eliminate corruption.
“The problem is that this Washington agenda goes in the opposite direction to the Salvadoran government’s agenda, which is precisely to weaken the rule of law, the democratic rupture and corruption,” Ros said.
This clash of priorities will provoke tensions between the two governments, predicts the director of Funde.