I’m in Guatemala, filming a new one-hour public television special about world hunger — and learning about extreme poverty and smart development.
On Friday, the news broke that President Trump plans to cut development and humanitarian assistance to three Central American countries, including Guatemala. This news has been heartbreaking and, frankly, baffling. If your motivation is to slow migration from Central America to the US, then development, jobs, and hope are the best medicine — and US aid is a great investment.
Here in Guatemala, I’ve been studying exactly that. Aid is not only desperately needed here, but also, quite simply, smart. The people I’ve met here love their country. They want to work hard and export the fruits of their labor. If they made the treacherous trip to the US, it would only be out of desperation.
Cutting US aid to Central America will slow development, and the result will be more refugees at our border…not fewer. If you’re worried about our southern border, smart aid is a smart investment.