GUATEMALA CITY — Addressing the root causes of migration has become a central tenet of the Biden administration’s foreign assistance policy for the Northern Triangle in Central America. Previous U.S. administrations — and President Joe Biden himself, when he was vice president — have strived to target foreign aid to improve lives enough that people can thrive at home.
But seesawing funding levels over the past several years as U.S. presidential administrations change have blunted the impact of money spent in the region. Moreover, it has shaken the confidence of NGOs that count on the U.S. government — the world’s largest aid donor and previously a reliable source of funding for their projects. And in turn, it has also disrupted NGOs’ relationships with communities they seek to serve.
As some groups welcome Biden’s pledge to direct $4 billion to the region, others are wary of accepting U.S. funds that could disappear instantly when the U.S. presidency changes hands again.