The expenses of the Mexican federal government on the development of the southern regions of the country, which should help solve the problem of migration, will amount to about $30 billion over five years, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Tuesday.
“We expect that these investments, these efforts, will exceed $30 billion in the next five years, which will make this the most important investment ever made in the south of the country over such a period,” Ebrard said in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh, as quoted by the Excelsior portal.
According to the minister, such efforts should show the world that a solution to the problem of migration in an orderly, safe and regular manner is possible.
Ebrard also noted that the government of Mexico would jointly work with the governments of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador to develop an integrated development plan for the region.
Southern Mexico, in particular the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, is traditionally considered to be the poorest region in the country, and the source of migration to the United States. The situation is aggravated by the fact that numerous migrants from Central America get to Mexico through border with Guatemala via Chiapas and then set off on a long journey to the border with the United States. Since October, several large caravans of several thousand Central American migrants have been moving towards the US border.
On Monday, the majority of leaders from more than 150 countries endorsed the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration at the UN conference in Marrakesh.