The president of Colombia, Iván Duque, said that if he manages to boost investments through nearshoring (bringing production closer to the point of use) of investments “and with the correct conditions”, he will be able to successfully handle the situation that has generated the crisis. migratory "successfully".
“We are all going to fight with the migratory crises; What we are experiencing is not going to be the last, and what we are seeing on the southern border of the United States (USA) is not going to be the last migratory influx, but there is a strategy for the nearshoring of these investments for Latin America, that would be a way to contain the massive migration that we are seeing towards the United States, "said the president, during a conversation - convened by the Atlantic Council organization - with US senators Roy Blunt and Ben Cardin.
Duque added that his comment is related to sending remittances: “Many people want to cross the border and multiply their income -thanks to the exchange rate- to be able to send those remittances to their home, to their countries of origin, and we have lived with that in Colombia because the minimum wage in Venezuela is $ 10.00, while in Colombia it is $ 300.00 dollars ”.
In the talk, the president also highlighted the recent Temporary Protection Statute decreed by the Colombian government, which seeks to regularize almost two million Venezuelans in that country and grant them benefits, in terms of health, education and job opportunities.
“It is crucial and we understand that the US . It is also facing its own challenges internally and I know that the policy of reshoring (bringing manufacturing and services back to the US from abroad) is very important, some of the investments that were made in other parts of the world and that we know.
We feel that this is part of the internal policy of the United States . However, if there is some percentage of that investment that cannot be returned to the United States, but can be taken to closer places, that nearshoring will translate into in investment, in employment ... and that will generate many opportunities in Latin America, "said Duque.
Likewise, he reiterated that Colombia will continue to fight with the migratory crisis and that the economic resources that currently exist are insufficient to face it, because the international aid granted does not even reach $ 300.00 per migrant, compared to that of Syria or Sudan, that spend $ 3,000 and $ 1,600, respectively.
Duque highlighted the US as the main donor to this crisis. The Senator Roy Blunt, meanwhile, said it is necessary " to ensure a stronger economy in Colombia" and coincided with Democrat Ben Cardin in the US can do more for the impact of the Venezuelan crisis in that country, and "Achieve greater international recognition of what is happening in Venezuela."
The Republican also praised the work of the Duque administration to confront Venezuelan migration: “On more than one occasion, US President Joe Biden, as vice president, referred to Colombia as the cornerstone of Latin America and it is evident on the map, but it also becomes evident when we look for examples that President Duque has set, the way in which Venezuelan migrants have been welcomed in Colombia ”.
Another challenge facing the Colombian government today is the social and economic crisis generated by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).
"We must achieve the vaccination of 4% of the population, next week, three million by April 17 and the goal is to vaccinate 35 million people, before the end of the year, to vaccinate 70% of the Colombian population, and achieve herd immunity, ”said Duque, who highlighted that his country joined the COVAX initiative six months ago and bought 20 million doses for 10 million people.
Likewise, he added, that he achieved bilateral agreements with pharmaceutical companies and 1.3 million doses have already been applied in his country.
However, he called for the distribution of vaccines to be done equitably and said that "the US can become a leader in the hemisphere so that countries that have not received vaccines, receive them promptly."
For Carden, addressing the pandemic is of great importance and he shares the assessment of the Colombian president. "This is a global, planetary pandemic and we will only be safe in our country if all countries are safe ... USA. it has to be a leader in ensuring that the countries of the world receive vaccines ”.
For US senators, Colombia is one of the most important allies of the US in the region. According to Carden, "there have been too many setbacks in the democratic institutions of other countries, while Colombia is moving forward and has not stopped, it has advanced and that is the direction we would like it to follow in the hemisphere."
He said that alliances with both countries have been successfully achieved and it is time to move to the next level, continue to face challenges such as migration, drug trafficking and strengthen the protection of human rights activists.
Duque, for his part, highlighted the celebration of the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Colombia and the United States.
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