to put it more simply, central america's northern triangle grew the average income in central america as it northern triangle grew by 3.5% last year. we haven't yet talked about mexico here but to get to america, to come here, you have to go through mexico. mexico is having elections on sunday. probably hard to know what will change, if anything. do you have any sense based on what he has talked about that we might expect in terms of mexico's role? obrador will have a difficult time changing policies right now. the mexican government has a duplicitous policy. they try to stop as many central americans as they can. at the u.s. border we have apprehended about 100,000 people a year ago. the mexican authorities detained at least 100,000 too. they have kept that policy, even though the mexican senate passed a law saying central americans had the right of transit to the u.s. if he wants to confront the trump administration he can try to say, you know, people are free to go. the reality is that politics is politics. adorn't see lopez obr changing that approach to what the current government

kids from central america and further away do not end up being repatriated. if you are a mexican child, 97% chance you will be repatriated. or a child from canada. from further away, 3% of them get repatriated. that is an incredible invitational poll. >> that act was meant to prevent trafficking. if we were to close down, would it push them more into the hands of traffickers? >> that -- >> whether or not some of the actions we are doing are encouraging smugglers to be more creative and do more. every time we take an action against drugs, there is a response from the other side. they adapt and feed misinformation because that gets them our clients and money. how do you balance that? how do you balance the effects of the policy with what can end up countering this? >> we need to continue to evaluate it. that is not important policy debate to have. how to reform these legal loopholes, which people think are critical protections. they are both. you have to balance that. that's a discussion we need to have. right now, we have a double standard. for canadian and me

did the united fruit company introduced capitalism to central america. it certainly had a specific vision of development and progress from the start. the railway laid the foundation for mine a trooper keefe huge wealth. for the young dangers of central america it was synonymous with modernity. guatemala wanted it found railway but the country was in debt and when the price of coffee its primary resource. collapsed it became insolvent plans to build a railway were put on ice. in one thousand and three. approached the one person who could help miner cooper keep. he agreed to build a railway in return as usual he demanded land for banana plantations have the right to operate the railway for his their needs he also acquired control over the country's main port and the telegraph network. in other words guatemala gave away in the united fruit company its infrastructure its economy and its future in exchange for a railway. the company's empire group to the detriment of the young nations in search of progress but with no resources and indicates. that it's people

that is working with partners in central america. as well as aligning our policies on immigration with mexico. we have an incoming administration, president-elect had a strong mandate from the voters. we are looking forward to working with his administration to continue the collaboration levels we have had over the last 18 months. investment in border security we , talked about those areas. we are receiving investments, we are going to apply it more effectively. another piece is the framework on usi. a number for polls has been submitted to congress. the courts piece of this, just wanted to clarify the one point. individuals who are detained have an expeditious court process, about 45 days on average. it's when they are released from custody and go to a location where they are on an alternative to detention, maybe for a period of time, an ankle bracelet. maybe they have to touch a connection point. they are not necessarily going to show up for hearings, and hearings are many years out. they go on a non-detained docket that does not m

this is the case for about two thirds of all refugees from central america. and it's the moment that then we'll know mental. there are more and more women and women with children and families coming from the north of central america to seek asylum in mexico that is. how to fight back becomes our women. women with children. all they want. but most don't want to stay in mexico the chances of finding work can't much higher here than at home. miriam and violet will continue north. karen would like to go with them. when i took the train she was already on it. but she wants to carry on no. i don't know. karan we'll have to stay until eric is better she can stay at the hostel eventually eric is able to keep food down. she'll have to go back to the clinic in a few days. yeah. i would have preferred to go one but if the boys ill it's because god wanted it this way. one of the trip to be longer. is thirty one year old catholic has pinned her hopes some god she says she will only make it as far as he allows she's hoping to get to miami. that's what she and her sons. joh

and so, i think we've got to be cognizant of what our system is doing both to central america and to mexico and how we need to partner with them to address the push factors, create the opportunity at home in central america, to attack the cto's victimizing the most vulnerable people in the hemisphere on our route here and then work on the borders and internal enforcement system that we'll get to. >> you're saying the solution to this isn't going to happen at the border and yet, that's where all of this attention has been and the most immediate policy changes have been happening at the border. >> right. >> with i guess at least some administration officials have said with the idea of deterring the flow. you mentioned all of these terrible things are happening to people on this journey. you know, what might -- what must cause somebody to be willing to take all of those risks, given where they were to try it make that journey. you know, if the idea is that these policy changes are somehow going to deter that, i mean, what's your sense? how do you know if think of this is working? >> all

what we are doing in central america, we have a central american strategy which seeks to get at the rootauses of migration and hopefully give people less of a reason to want to leave their country in the first place. our efforts have been focused on implement in that strategy particularly in the northern triangle. we are looking at using tools to eliminate corruption that allow a climate of impunity for those who seek to these people. we are supporting law enforcement activities to partners in the region. were working to help improve the judicial system so criminals can be put away in a clear and transparent way. we are working to help these countries grow their economies and we believe addressing these issues will outdate the need f for, that drive people to want to leave their countries and force them into situations like you just described. >> specifically our embassies are they helping to reunite families? they playing any role in that reunification? >> at the risk of misleading you, i would rather take the question back and get back to. i do not want to give you an answer that is in

braz sill not even in central america. you realize florida is closer to central america than brazil. like there's no issue with immigrants coming from brazil illegally. brazilians done even speak spanish. like brazil is just kind of similar to them. like what does that mean. it's like going to a star trek convention and being like, i've gt a message for chewbacca. but i guess for pence it's close enough. i feel like he give this speech whenever he is around any latinos. he will be at chilis, i have a message straight from my heart. don't risk your lives. like sir, please, my hand is starting to burn, starting to burn, sir. and the way pence delivered that speech was no joke. like he sowfnedded like, you flow this those movies when a villain is showing up on every single tv screen around the world. >> to the people of central america. >> shh, nobody say anything. >> i have a megsage for you. >> don't risk your lives or the lives of your children by trying to come to the yooptded states on a road run by drug smugglers and hu

for example, i work in central america, respond to responses that inhibit impairment. recently high levels of immigration from south america come largely because of poverty, instability, governance, including high levels of corruption and impunity. therefore, you say it focuses n on. the drive people to make the perilous journey north. we spread the. together with mexico we're working closely with the northern triangle governments, to address those challenges that we collectively fix. two of our primary's interest in columbia are columbia and peru. these countries remain plagued by cultivation. there were hard to reach areas that were cut off from stage presence in the conflict. our efforts to reach the power of roots, enabled. similarly in peru, you say the system helps to reduce the drugs. as the third border to the united states, the caribbean remains vital to america's security and prosperity. i would like to thank ranking member engel for their continued interest and engagement on caribbean topics and particularly for rule 3439 which leads the strategy for engageme

our work in mexico and central america responds to challenges that inhibit business development. empower criminals and lead to out migration. recent high levels of illegal migration come from south america including instability and poverty. therefore, usaid's programs focus on engaging young people before they turn to crime and violence. improving democratic governance and addressing the economic conditions that drive people po journey north in mexico we partner with the government to strengthen national institutions, spread the rule of law and promote the protection of human rights, with mexico we're working closely with the northern triangle governments to address those challenges for security and prosperity that we collectively face. two of our priority areas of focus are colombia and peru. these countries are making enormous strides, but remain plagued by coka cultivation. which threatens regional security in colombia, usaid is working in some of the most dangerous and hard-to-reach areas cut off from state presence for decades. our efforts to reduce the power and influence of

these families are fleeing horrific violence in central america. they are spending every penny they have and are being extorted and assaulted along the way oftentimes, and then they get to the border at the end of a difficult journey. ele way you stop this is central america, foreignions, providing law enforcement assistance. stop it in mexico by pushing mexicans to provide greater security along the southern border. our ability -- far too often we look at our ability to control things at the u.s. border and don't realize how little we ntrol outside the border to stop them from coming north in the first place. jane: nevertheless, there is a need to have a secure border. john: i agree with that. but you have to understand that this is not a law enforcement or even order security issue. this is a humanitarian crisis. giving them a fast hearing before an immigration judge, and if they fail to present an asylum claim, remove them. teu don't have to sepa families? have drained border patrol resours and security resources muay from the real issues like c

i think it's time for our friends from central america, especially the northern triangle countries, the united states, and mexico to have the serious conversation about development in migration and the linkage between those two. i emphasize its serious not because we have not done anything. i think last year for example, the u.s. convened with mexico at an important conference in miami to stop it. its serious in the sense that we need to have an effort hopefully by the region that it is systemic, staffed and involves resources to address these issues. we cannot be satisfied, any one of the countries, on how we manage migration. that's the truth. i don't think the united states can be satisfied. i don't think we can be satisfied. i don't think central americans can either be satisfied. it's a very complex issue. you need to address the root causes of migration. and that's not easy. --must do everything we can mexico, central america -- to make sure that immigration is as hasorced decision happened in the vast majority of cases. that's not the responsibility of the united states. that's o

for children coming from central america, there is little chance of being repatriated. to protect victims of trafficking, especially unaccompanied children, we have kids from central american or further away -- do not end up being repatriated. ,f you are a mexican child there is a 90% chance of being repatriated. that is an invitational pull. if we were to close down avenues, with that was children more into the hands of traffickers to avoid consequences? whether or not some of the actions are encouraging the smugglers to be creative -- you know this better than anybody. every time you take an action theret drugs, smuggling, is a response from the other side. criminal activities for these smugglers, they adapt and beat misinformation because that helps them have more clients. how do you balance that? how do you balance the effects of the policy with what could be countering? >> something we need to evaluate. that is an important policy to have, how to reform legal loopholes which people think are protections. that is a discussion we need to have. we have a double standar

i think it's in the interest of the united states to work with central america and mexico in that regard. i've seen an openness to address these issues on the part of president trump's administration. next week is there will be a working meeting and we expect to have a second conference either late in the summer and fall with the central americans, ourselves and the united states. again, there's three important things to do. work together to do everything we can so people are not forced out of their countries because of lack of opportunity or for any other reason. the second thing is that we should think carefully about -- there will continue to be movement of people because that's just a fact of the century we're living in. i think everybody wants for that movement to occur where it's legal, safe and orderly. do we have sufficient avenues for that. are we working enough within the countries to make sure that is happening. finally we need to address head on human smuggling. it's terrible. and it's hamg. if we do that and make a serious effort,ic that -- again, it's a complex phenomenon,

i think that it's time for our friends from central america especially the northern triangle countries, the united states and mexico to have a serious conversation about development and migration and the linkage between those two. not because we have not done anything. i think that just last year for example, of u.s. convene with mexico and important conference in miami. we need to have an effort hopefully by the whole region that it's permanent systemic, fast and it involves resources. we cannot, i think be satisfied any one of the countries in terms how we manage migration. i don't think our central americans can be satisfied. it's a very complex issue. you need to address the root causes of migration. that's not easy. we must do everything we can mexico, central america, to make sure is not a -- that's not responsibility of the united states. that's on us, i think. we certainly welcome the support of the united states in that regard and the measures that have been taking over the years to address security. i think we should do enough. we have not done enough. i think it's important

we must do everything we can -- mexico, central america, to make sure that immigration is not a forced decision, as has happened in the vast majority of cases. that's not the responsibility of the united states. that's on us, i think. we certainly welcome the support of the united states in that regard, and the messieurs -- and the measures that have been taken over the years to address prosperity and security in the region are welcome. i just think we should do enough. we have not done enough. i think it's appropriate to recognize that. i think it is in the interest of the united states to work with central america and mexico in that regard. i have seen an openness, at least to address this issue from the part of president trump's administration. just next week, there will be a meeting in guatemala, a working meeting, and we expect to have a second conference either late in the summer or in the fall with the central americans. ourselves and the united states, and again, there are three important things to do. work together to do everything we can so people are not forced out of their

conducted field research in central america in the balkans, haiti, and afghanistan. from 2012 to 2014 as senior advisor in the state department's conflict and operations, he will keep me in settlementves in a for displaced persons in el war,dor during the civil 1988. i'm sure this will be a terrific conversation with the leaving experts. we will jump right into the conversation for about 45 , then we will take questions. i will start with you. you are based in washington. i'm curious if you listened to the debate we are having a moment again about the root causes of why creation from central america, what comes to your mind? what are we getting right about what is happening in your missingand what are we in terms of the conditions driving violence from else tell the door to make the journey to the united states? and thanksmichael, for organizing this really interesting conversation. about migration from central america, what comes to my mind is we're looking at a crisis.l humanitarian the united states needs to adopt a humanitarian approach. those who are fleeing for

. —— reflective of the conditions. are fleeing from in central america. -- reflective of the conditionsplace have always been in place, they were in place under the last few presidents. it is different now, the enforcement? the enforcement of the policies, and the direct institutionalisation of family separation as part of the criminal prosecution that an individualfamily faces criminal prosecution that an individual family faces when they cross the border illegally. so, previously we have heard of cases of family separation, as you say. but it was not an actual formal part of the policy of criminal prosecution, once you cross the border. thank you so much forjoining us. that was daniella burgi—palomino from the latin america worker group. now, 30 years ago a us warship, the uss vincennes, shot down an iranian airliner over the persian gulf. all 290 on board were killed, among them 66 children. in a rare interview, the bbc‘s witness programme has spoken to someone who was on board the us warship. rudy pahoyo was then a us navy combat cameraman, who just happened to be filming on the vin

and he has conducted research in central america, west africa, the balkans, colombia, and haiti. he served in the bureau of conflict and stabilization operations. he helped to keep me in line and chuck lived in a settlement for displaced persons in el salvador for 15 months during the civil war until 1988. and he's published on the transition from war to peace. and on the creation of its police force. so we're really delighted, again, to welcome them. i'm sure this will be a terrific conversation with three leading experts. we're going to jump right into the conversation. we'll do that for about 45 minutes and then we'll have plenty of time to take questions from what i'm sure is a very well informed audience. so with that, maybe leonor, i'll start with you. you're obviously from el salvador but now based in washington. i'm just curious as you listen to the debate we're having at the moment, again, about the root causes of migration from central america, what comes to your mind? what is this city getting right about what's happening in your country? and what are we missing in ter

central america's highest number of gang members and 42% of small businesses suffer extortion. successive governments have tried to attack the crime and violence problem often with the iron fist approach. to little avail. el salvador's overcrowded prisons are teeming with youth members. the police struggling to contain the crime epidemic have faced credible accusations of corruption and extrajudicial executions. impunity for both violent crime and human rights violations is high. despite some notable exceptions such as a conviction last weeks of four police officers for aggravated homicide. alongside the contemporary challenges el salvador continues to wressal with the legacy of the past. the supreme court of the country struck down the 1993 amnesty law. clearing the way for the first time for prosecutors to reopen cases and victims to seek justice. some have argued that these efforts distract attention and resources from present day challenges facing the country. others argue that impunity for past atrocities is to blame for the weak rule of law that has emerged in the post co

continue to open her door to any family that's seeking asylum like she did with a family from central america. she say it's said to see so many children orphaned by her gov government. she said it was worth it. knowing if they get asylum her family finally has chance to make it in america. >> reporter: the shopping center in east san jose used to be bustling. that changed a year and a half ago with all the i.c.e. raids. the locals say it's increased with threats of family separation. >>> in washington, d.c. house speaker paul ryan said no, he will not support house conservatives trying to impeach rod rosenstein. he's the man overseeing the russia investigation. 11 conservative house republican vs introduced articles of holdi congress. the house speaker is not on board. >> do i support impeachment of rod rosenstein? no, i do not. >> in iowa, president trump handed out green hats saying make our farmers great again and down playing fears of economic damage from trade wars. >>> hit making and not on a good way. facebook just ended the day with the biggest single loss in the history of the stock

central america's highest number of gang members. and 42 percent of small businesses suffer extortion. governments have tried to attack the crime and violence problem. to little avail. el salvador is overcrowded prisons often operate as incubators of crime rather than really be -- rehabilitation centers. the police, struggling to contain the crime academic -- epidemic cause destruction. impunity for violent crime and human rights allegations is high. despite some notable exceptions, such as conviction of four police officers for aggravated homicide. alongside these contemporary challenges, el salvador continues to rug -- wrestle with the legacy of its past. in 2016, the supreme court of the country struck down the 1993 amnesty law enacted at the conclusion of the devastating civil war. clear the way for prosecutors to reopen cases, and for victims to seek justice. some of our efforts distract attention and resources from present day challenges. others argue for -- that impunity is to blame for the weak rule of law that has emerged. t

they are getting migrants from central america.s at their disposal to manage the inflows? how's it dealing with it now? shannon: mexico has very expensive laws on the books. if you are a migrant coming in trying to seek asylum, you have the right to a lawyer, process, appeal. in reality, mexico is not doing much of that or any of that. they have a very few offices for migrants to go to to seek asylum. they have a backup system and have a lot of abuses of migrants within the system. president of mexico really wants to be more humanitarian, a lot of resources will have to be poured into the system. joe: is there a way in which anlo's prices could go with donald trump's and they would have a better relationship? shannon: both of them will face this migration crisis. the question is, will they docked tail or choose different directions. is that he will be more humanitarian and open up and not separate kids from their parents at the border. we will see what happens when reality hits. julie: his rhetoric has also been quite anti-trump, h

set of circumstances they could they are they are credible they have moral authority this is central america the church is very strong which is partly why you see ortega saying that that that the ones trying to overthrow him are sort of some diabolical force right it's because religion still resonates so strongly not only that the church in central america even more so than in than in south and then in venezuela for instance is a huge provider of health care education and everything else it's very deeply rooted in the grass roots of you know the poor all areas and it also commands you know the loyalty even of the highly educated you know professional class as you know so matter what you go to church you know so i think they could but they could bring sort of the business class and the poor class together but you know it's all about tonight can something so but. it's just not going to happen yeah mr cullen. some very strong words from the united states. states. what can the americas does it do they still have some leverage given their past involvement in the war well of course it's one of the

between united states and mexico and central america about what's going on.it's not going to be easy. but if we do not do that, we will find ourselves i think, just managing this rather than addressing these serious solutions, at least for a while. >> when it comes to the relations of mexican consular officials with u.s. authorities on immigration cases and humanitarian cases, do you find the cooperation is prettily -- pretty good or difficult?>> frankly it varies from region to region and from time to time. one of the central objectives here, for the consulates, is to ensure that the mexican nationals irrespective of their status, are subject to due process. and that there human rights are also observed which again, that doesn't mean we condone illegality, or promote illegality. it's not what we do, certainly not as the government. but we are just, we base our work in what is you know, in this sort of provision. that's what assistance provides for anyone here. we do work, frequently. with the administration on different fronts or even the top fronts like thi

, so they cross through central america, up through mexico, into the united states, because there clearly here and by comparison who wouldn't do that. you could understand it, but i'm wondering if there's something to be said now with the new leader. he's a leftist in mexico just elected overwhelmingly by the mexican people. if you think it's incumbent upon this president to strike a deal, some say just unilaterally just with the mexicans on trade and other issues that could benefit the mexicans and us simultaneously so much so there would be less reason for anyone to leave mexico or to sneak out of mexico what do you think of that? >> actually, this administration is working very hard in central america in mexico, and call security and prosperity, we're looking to create this in central america and working with large banks and corporations and the state department and governments and central america, trying to create prosperity in those countries when the people don't leave. i when i was the i.c.e. director i increased work study enforcement by over 300% taking away that magnet

invnvolvement in latin america, particularly central america in places like nicaragua. >> one of thethat happened as people returned from the war, some people choose to continue to use the skills they learned for combat in other areas. there is a movement of mercenary soldiers to southern africa, to nicaragua and el salvador, occasionally honduras to serve to undergird u.s. foreign policy. for the white power movement, they helped people try out anti-democratic warfare before they brought it home to the united states. it's corrupted to the historical record. they are thought about is usually armchair warriors going off to do cultural battle. we see a lot of people think --ut social of fortune soldier of fortune magazine as harmless. for a lot of people, this was a real thing, real combat and it should be treated with a real body cam. amy: oliver north is now president of the nra, responsible for getting weapons and using the money illegally to fund the contras in nicaragua. >> yes. many white-collar activists spent time in central america before coming back to carry out white power a

having fled or extreme violence in central america. today the broader issue is taking center stage in u.s. politics as u.s. president gets serious about one of his biggest campaign promises we will build the wall yes. ok. oh. with a crackdown on media and political opposition cambodia is getting ready for its national election this one a one east investigates how far temple used ruling party will go to consolidate its power. on al-jazeera. al-jazeera where every. a new series of rewind a can bring your people back to life i'm sorry and bring you updates on the best of al-jazeera documentaries the struggle continues book from do to. use distance rewind continues with the silver friends we're going back to a poor south african neighborhood where music and tradition come together in an annual competition for the people who would know yes we want on al-jazeera. a face off in finland but donald trump says don't expect too much from the tolls would let him in a pinch and. hello i'm sure without you there live from day also coming up what is

set of circumstances they could they are they are credible they have moral authority this is central america the church is very strong which is partly why you see your thing saying that that that the ones trying to overthrow him are sort of some diabolical force right it's because religion still resonates so strongly not only that the church in central america even more so than in than in the south and then i saw a for instance is a huge provider of health care education and everything else it's very deeply rooted in the grass roots of you know the poor all areas and. also commenced you know the loyalty even of the highly educated you know professional class as you know so matter what you go to church you know so i think they could but they could bring sort of the business class and the poor class together but you know it's you know it's all about tonight from this all but. it's just not going to happen yeah mr collins heard some very strong words from the united states secretary of state. what can the americas does it do they still have some leverage given their past involvement in the war

southeast asia, africa, central america, the persian gulf, and the middle east. the withdrawal of soviet troops from afghanistan, of course, represents an historic step in itself, one that the general secretary and i agreed could serve as a model for settling other regional conflicts. a key part of my agenda for this moscow summit, as for my previous meetings with the general secretary, involved human rights. recently, the soviets have begun to show somewhat more respect for human rights. in the past year, for example, they have released some 300 political detainees from detention. it's my hope that what took place in my moscow visit will lead to still greater individual freedom for the peoples of the soviet union. you see, in addition to my meetings with mr. gorbachev, i held other meetings with monks at a monastery in moscow, with monastery in moscow, with nearly 100 dissidents and refuseniks, men and women who worked for years and freedom to speak, to assemble and to travel. at moscow university with students, indeed with the very students likely to become the

the second topic i want to discuss with you is central america. it was this week that the guatemala cord went into effect -- guatemala cord when into effect -- accord went into effect. that theo conclude differences between the democracies and the communists in central america have never been so apparent. the communists in nicaragua refused to lift their state of emergency. the democracies of el salvador and guatemala, countries that are also torn by violence, make no excuses and have no states of emergency. in nicaragua, the communist release of political prisons have been partial and begrudgingly. thousands of political prisoners remain in jail. there has been one good sign. of acome the designation man who himself has suffered much at the hands of the nicaraguan kind -- communists. this is a nicaraguan conflict that should be resolved between nicaraguans and as i said monday, when serious negotiations between the communists and the resistance have become under his mediation, then secretary schulz will be ready to meet jointly with foreign minis

mexico a long time and it is a country that has been through much turmoil that when you are in central america really pales in comparison in that situation you go through these neighborhoods and you are escorted by gang members. i think we were in tabasco looking at the flight of central american but it's not like this happy time it is and that situation it is so much more complex and these reasons are tied to the united states and central american war but also the tenuous demand for drugs for south america to go to central america. >> when you write now, because everybody is so polarized are you conscious of that when you are writing? has it changed your writing? i am open to it. because i want them not only to feel as accurate as that we are balanced and fair. i will go out of my way. as an immigrant i am really curious as to why they may like the margarita or your allotted or tortilla and chips and salsa but they do not like you. i'm curious. that is what i did with this book to establish and understand that. but i am getting away from the question. the editing process has changed more when

these women who are being raped and murdered at the hands of these violent gangs in central america. he officially came out to close that space that had been previously available to asylum seekers under the obama administration. so we're seeing it both in the official directives coming from the administration and also at what is happening on the ground in terms of the border patrol and i.c.e. folks and how they're managing the day-to-day flow of folks coming across the border seeking asylum. >> congressman, let me play you this emotional mother who saw her kids today after a month of separation. she had a message to the mothers that she was detained with. take a listen. >> we shared a lot of sorrow together. we suffered a lot. if you see this message, i just want to say god willing you're going to get out there. because we hat we went through s not easy. >> how much of your colleagues, moat democrats and republicans, hear these messages? are they too high up into the clouds, like 35,000 feet, trying to address this issue from policy and national security, and not listening to these h