Regional Leaders Convene in Palenque to Address Migration Phenomenon
A regional bloc consisting of 10 Latin American and Caribbean countries has been formed to find structural solutions to the migration crisis. The leaders, including Miguel Díaz-Canel, Xiomara Castro, Ariel Henry, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Gustavo Petro, and Nicolás Maduro, attended the Palenque Summit, convened by Mexican President López Obrador. In an effort to combat the issue, the heads of state, vice presidents, and foreign ministers signed a joint agreement in Palenque, Chiapas, which highlights the impact of US-imposed economic sanctions on migration and calls for a comprehensive dialogue between the US and Cuba as well as Venezuela.
The agreement addresses various measures to address the root causes of migration, including renegotiating debts, expanding regular migration routes, promoting interregional trade, combating transnational organized crime and human trafficking, and providing priority protection to women and children on transit routes. It also proposes collaboration in the energy sector and the harmonization of standards to establish a Latin American medicines agency.
Notably, the United States, Canada, and the United Nations were not invited to the regional meeting. Mexican sources have stated that this is to emphasize that the Palenque Meeting represents a Latin American solution to the migration problem. However, the agreements reached will eventually be communicated to the US and Canada.
During the summit, the issue of the economic blockade against Cuba and Venezuela took center stage. Venezuelan President Maduro called for the lifting of US sanctions, stating that they are “criminal, immoral, and war measures against the country’s economy.” Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla highlighted the impact of the economic embargo on migration, adding that the United States also encourages irregular migration of Cubans through unique treatment offered to them. He emphasized that the solution lies in the hands of the United States and expressed Cuba’s willingness to negotiate regarding the embargo.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also voiced his criticism of Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip during the summit. Petro described the offensive as genocide and argued that the situation in the Middle East poses a risk to international law. However, he did not reach an agreement on issuing a joint statement against the Israeli offensive with the nations present.
Overall, the Palenque Summit aimed to address the migration crisis through regional cooperation. The agreement signed by the participating countries highlights the need to address the root causes of migration and calls for dialogue and collaboration among nations.