The countries of Central America’s Northern Triangle—El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—are especially vulnerable to the severe and worsening impacts of climate change. This policy brief, the first in a series of three publications, describes the main challenges and provides broad recommendations for the US strategy on climate change adaptation in the region. It is based on inputs from the Task Force on Climate Change in the Northern Triangle, coordinated by the Inter-American Dialogue.
Reports ˙
˙ Climate Change in the Northern Triangle: Recommendations for US Assistance
Rural subsistence farmers, ethnic communities, women, and young people are disproportionately affected by climate change in the Northern Triangle, according to a report by the Inter-American Dialogue, which focuses on adaptation in the region with an emphasis on climate justice and mitigating the impacts on vulnerable communities.
On May 4 and 5, a delegation of task force members traveled to DC to share their insights and recommendations with officials from various US government entities.
This report, informed by the Dialogue’s Task Force on Climate Change in the Northern Triangle, complements the recommendations of the previous report in the series, on themes such as agriculture, water, energy, and finance, with strategic recommendations for US assistance to foster effective and sustainable adaptation, especially through empowering local leadership.
Though migration has continued, it has done so at a declining rate. In fact, overall growth in the migrant population in the United States has been offset by large numbers of deportations. This memo analyzes recent trends in Central American migration, starting with a brief historical context and moving on to current developments. It considers geographical divisions, reasons for migrating, and growth in the overall migrant population. It also addresses why the numbers of apprehensions are different from the numbers of people migrating. Finally, it considers implications of these current trends for Central American countries.
In the early 1980s, when the Inter-American Dialogue was born, the U.S. was actively supporting right-wing governments from El Salvador to Nicaragua. There were “tremendous misunderstandings between Latin America and the United States,” says Michael Shifter, longtime president of the D.C.-based think tank. These days, it seems those tremendous misunderstandings have returned with a vengeance, making the Dialogue’s work even more relevant.
Larry Luxner
Articles & Op-Eds ˙
˙ The Washington Diplomat
On Tuesday, May 23rd, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted an event with Ivan Briscoe, Latin America and Caribbean program director at the International Crisis Group; Ana Glenda Tager, Latin America regional director at Interpeace; and Steven Dudley, Co-Director of InSight Crime. During this session, the speakers addressed violence in Central American in relation to gangs.
En esta entrevista radiofónica con Luis Montes para WLIE 540 AM, Michael Shifter analiza el presupuesto del gobierno de Trump y su impacto en la región, lo que podemos anticipar sobre las políticas de Estados Unidos hacia Cuba, y el rol de distintos actores en la crisis de Venezuela.
On October 3, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted an event entitled “How Insecurity Shapes Daily Life in Central America” to discuss a report recently published by the Inter-American Dialogue and the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) on crime avoidance in Central America. The event was moderated by Michael Shifter, with the speakers including Elizabeth Zechmeister, Carole Wilson, Michael Camilleri, and Juan Gonzalez. The panel discussed the report’s methodology and findings, as well as some of the broader implications of the research for policymakers in Latin America and the United States.
This year, Dialogue experts were chosen to provide background information and analysis of US policy towards Latin America and China-Latin America relations for Great Decisions, the largest program focusing on the discussion of world affairs in the United States..