Obama Commits $200M to Help Central America Fight Crime
EmailFrom David Kerley, Jon Garcia and Jose Cohen:
President Obama is wrapping up his Latin America trip with a commitment of $200 million to try and help Central America “to confront the narco-traffickers and gangs that have caused so much violence in all of our countries.”
At a joint news conference with El Salvador’s President Mauricio Funes, Obama said the effort will be coordinated across the region.
“Instead of the old donor-recipient model, we’re working as partners,” he said.
“So rather than the United States coming in and saying, here’s the best way to do things, what we want to do is to hear what are the respective challenges that each country is facing,” Obama said.
The money will be used for policing, security and judicial systems, but it will also have a social component. The U.S. president then quoted his Central American counterpart.
“He said we don't want a young man in El Salvador or a young woman in El Salvador to feel that the only two paths to moving up the income ladder is either to travel north or to join a criminal enterprise,” Obama said.
President Funes said Central America needs to learn lessons from Mexico and Columbia, which have been battling drug cartels.
“Unless we take away from the criminals the fertile soil that they have found in this region, and this fertile soil is thanks to the fact that we have a lot of youngsters that are living in a situation of poverty and social exclusion,” Funes said.
President Obama noted that two million Salvadorans live and work in the United States. The two Presidents talked about immigration reform and new consumer reforms established in the United States to protect Salvadorans who send money home.
– David Kerley, Jon Garcia and Jose Cohen
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Just keep in mind: every penny of that money will have to be borrowed by the US before it goes to Central America. Who will pay it back?
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | March 22, 2011, 8:11 pm 8:11 pm
“He said we don’t want a young man in El Salvador or a young woman in El Salvador to feel that the only two paths to moving up the income ladder is either to travel north or to join a criminal enterprise,” Obama said.
I strongly suggest that the president of the United States take a look within his own borders and help a young man or a young woman HERE realize they don’t have to join a criminal enterprise to move up the income ladder.
Then again, I guess he isn’t very familiar with inner city problems. You have limited choices there… either join a gang, deal in drugs, and gain/keep your ‘street cred’ OR get beaten, shot, maimed, raped, etc. But, hey, obviously we have extra cash on hand to help out in Latin America. And I thought we were broke.
Posted by: Shoe | March 22, 2011, 8:37 pm 8:37 pm
More trash “reporting>” How about asking our vacationer in chief, “Are we borrowing all the money you are handing out?” Ask why he is giving money to Brazil but has a moratorium on US drilling. Ask how much Soros has invested in oil in Brazil.
Posted by: wheresmymoney | March 22, 2011, 10:01 pm 10:01 pm
Is the 200 Million part of next week’s CR?
Posted by: Noz | March 22, 2011, 10:02 pm 10:02 pm
How nice that he’s so thoughtful of their problems. I wonder when he’ll get around to thinking about the people in this country? Yeah. Right.
Posted by: jan | March 23, 2011, 12:06 am 12:06 am
Only a fool would believe Obama isn’t considering his post-presidency career on this trip, that will ultimately make him richer than Clinton.
We need a law against it.
Posted by: J House | March 23, 2011, 12:40 am 12:40 am
Obama needs to be impeached….
Posted by: boomboomgone | March 23, 2011, 1:07 am 1:07 am
There is no way to respond to Obama except to be cynical. We are going to save the world with our fake, printed money. I wonder if $200 million will be good for a roll of toilet paper by the time Obama is done printing money to fund his deficits?
Posted by: Mike, CO | March 23, 2011, 1:09 am 1:09 am
Hey, Mr. President: Why are giving away taxpayer’s hard earned money when there are so many ways here in the states that it could be used? Why not set up a national data base for illegal immigrants? Why not use that money to build that wall in Mexico? Why not pay some on the national debt? Keep spending fool. Charge it, fool. The stupid taxpayers don’t care. Oh Yeah??? Hide and watch what will happen come 2012.
Posted by: bee | March 23, 2011, 6:24 am 6:24 am
Either the president believes in the tooth fairy or he does not care about what will happen to the people of our country as the debt keeps rising. Other than words, he has shown no restraint when it comes to spending.
Posted by: deanbob | March 23, 2011, 6:53 am 6:53 am
Who can explain Obama pushing for Brazilian oil drilling and production and not encouraging the same for the US?
Posted by: Sigmonde | March 23, 2011, 8:39 am 8:39 am
SOMEBODY PLEASE TAKE THE CHECK BOOK AND CREDIT CARD AWAY FROM THIS MAN!!!
Posted by: mj | March 23, 2011, 8:48 am 8:48 am
“Who can explain Obama pushing for Brazilian oil drilling and production and not encouraging the same for the US?” – Sigmonde
Biden might be able to but it wouldn’t be much of an explanation.
Posted by: Noz | March 23, 2011, 8:49 am 8:49 am
I’m going to guess that over 3/4′s of that money is going to end up in the pockets of narco-traffickers and gangs… It always does.
Posted by: Bo, PWD | March 23, 2011, 8:55 am 8:55 am
NoBo Administration’s definition of limited government -
2 White House Galas a month instead of 3.
Posted by: Noz | March 23, 2011, 8:58 am 8:58 am
Here we are in the third year of Obama. Outrageous unemployment figures, outrageous record deficits, outrageous fuel prices, no change in Guantanamo, our country almost bankrupt, a new war, and now we’re helping other countries, instead of our own, to drill for oil. Did anyone hear Obama tell the Brazilians to put up windmills?
“Hope and Change” should be restated as “Hope and Change, Wink Wink”..
Posted by: Sigmonde | March 23, 2011, 9:00 am 9:00 am
Fight crime in Central America – hasn’t the POTUS traveled much in the US?
Posted by: jamescbuilder | March 23, 2011, 9:05 am 9:05 am
Obama to law-abiding U.S. citizens: You’re on your own.
Posted by: F | March 23, 2011, 9:50 am 9:50 am
Obama is so “in touch” with the people of America. What a farse, sueing Arizona who is dying from crime and drugs and pledges to help someone else. Gives Brazil billions to drill offshore, and does all he can to destroy our oil industry.
Posted by: SouthernDem | March 23, 2011, 10:01 am 10:01 am
We borrow 72 billion a month to keep govt running and the “get tough” conservatives are cutting a whopping 6 billion a month…SHUT IT DOWN NOW!!!
Posted by: SouthernDem | March 23, 2011, 10:17 am 10:17 am
“Who can explain Obama pushing for Brazilian oil drilling and production and not encouraging the same for the US?”
Ask George Soros.
Posted by: BP | March 23, 2011, 10:51 am 10:51 am
“President Funes said Central America needs to learn lessons from Mexico and Columbia, which have been battling drug cartels”
WHAT CAN THEY LEARN FROM MEXICO?
Who gave permission for Obama to give more money away?
Posted by: wheresmymoney | March 23, 2011, 10:54 am 10:54 am
“Ask George Soros.”
I would ask but he, like his leftist ilk, is silent, apparently choking on the hypocrisy of it all..
Posted by: Sigmonde | March 23, 2011, 10:58 am 10:58 am
He is real free with how many of our tax dollars he gives away.
The Congress must reject his proposal.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | March 23, 2011, 11:02 am 11:02 am
“I would ask but he, like his leftist ilk, is silent, apparently choking on the hypocrisy of it all..”
Actually, he is too busy counting $. But I digress…
Posted by: BP | March 23, 2011, 11:04 am 11:04 am
Meanwhile, in the USA:
“WASHINGTON — Sales of new single-family homes collapsed in February, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday, as a combination of high unemployment, tumbling prices and a glut of cheaper alternatives brought activity to a near-standstill.”
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | March 23, 2011, 11:07 am 11:07 am
Amazing. This imbecile takes our money and gives us no impact on how it should be spent and gives it to another country to spend as they wish. Unefinbelievable
Posted by: hughglass | March 23, 2011, 11:54 am 11:54 am
More money for the US taxpayer to borrow and pay interest on.
That’s what Americans get for picking a community organizer to do a man’s job.
Posted by: Mike Bates | March 23, 2011, 11:56 am 11:56 am
Dear Mr. President….instead of tossing around several million south of the border, why don’t you spend it here since it is borrowed $ anyway. I know the latter tarnishes your image as a “one worlder,” but the South Americans don’t vote in our elections…not yet, anyway.
Posted by: justj joey | March 23, 2011, 12:42 pm 12:42 pm
He has no ideas. Will leave it up to them. We will pay for it. For decades. And the $200 million will go into the pockets of corrupt politicians and worse. Did someone say “impeachment”? Where does he get this kind of authority? Where is Congress?
Posted by: Luisa | March 23, 2011, 2:05 pm 2:05 pm
Meantime, the continuing racketeering activity among Democratic politicians and the public employee unions has brought about this happy condition in Illinois:
“The Teachers’ Retirement System, the largest and costliest of Illinois’ pension programs, is now almost $40 billion short of what’s needed to cover future benefits — the deepest financial hole in 20 years of state records.
“And with lawmakers looking to rein in the massive costs of public retirement programs, teachers worry that the nest egg they’ve always considered a sure thing might shrink, while school district officials are concerned that local taxpayers might have to start picking up more of the tab.”
You think the taxpayers are going to roll over for this? You think those overpaid whiners with their Cadillac benefits and their union-thug bullying tactics are going to bleed hard-working taxpayers dry without a fight? Think again.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | March 23, 2011, 3:38 pm 3:38 pm
As opposed to republicans giving our tax money to the already wealthy via bailouts, fascist hyena… Yeah. Right.
Posted by: jan | March 24, 2011, 5:22 am 5:22 am
How about we tax Western Union services that funnel billions of dollars out of this country every year as a new “revenue enhancement”? An average of $20 billion gets redistributed to Mexico annually. Where’s the story about the $2 Billion we gave Brazil for their deep water drilling platforms? Do the Brazilians have a better safety record than we do? I seriously doubt it. Obama told them we’d be their biggest oil purchasing customer. How about we take care of ourselves with our own resources?
Posted by: Pattio | March 25, 2011, 12:56 pm 12:56 pm