State Secretary Antony Blinken stated that fighting impunity, strengthening democracy and respecting rights are of crucial importance. According to two analysts, the message is clear: that Washington has changed priorities and that the Salvadoran government is being watched.
US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced that he was meeting with his Salvadoran counterpart, Secretary of State Alexandra Hill Tinoco.
In doing so, he called on him to fight corruption and impunity, to strengthen the relationship between the United States and El Salvador.
In a statement on the website of the State Department, the US equivalent of the State Department, Secretary Blinken’s spokesman reported on the call between the two and the main topics discussed, including the elimination of corruption. .
“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, Alexandra Hill Tinoco,” the institution published yesterday.
In the discussion, he argues that it discussed how both countries can contribute to finding solutions to the structural causes that motivate thousands of Salvadorans each year to opt for undocumented and illegal immigration to the United States.
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This is in line with the Joe Biden administration’s line for the Northern Triangle, a sub-region made up of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The US government is striving to reduce the flow of migrants through the economic, institutional, democratic, and security fortification of the Central American countries.
That is why, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Blinken emphasized to the Salvadoran Minister of Foreign Affairs the importance of eradicating corruption and fighting impunity in El Salvador. This is a fundamental pillar of the so-called Biden Plan for Central America, which includes sanctions for officials involved in corruption.
This commitment, which the United States wants to motivate in the region, also extends to democratic institutions. In the call, the US Secretary of State, according to the statement, called on the Salvadoran government to “protect and strengthen democratic institutions.”
This is in contrast to the administration of former President Donald Trump, which left democracy aside and unconditionally supported the Bukele administration through then-ambassador Ronald Johnson, even at the most questionable moments. In response, Bukele was a staunch supporter of Trump’s questionable and draconian immigration measures.
And even with this award to a Bukele increasingly turning authoritarianism, the State Department under Trump realized in May 2020 how the Salvadoran government was weakening democratic institutions. Proof of this, they said at the time, was the military takeover of the Legislative Assembly on February 9 last year. They also pointed to attempts to silence the independent press.
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For this reason, Blinken has made it clear that respect for human rights, as well as the fight against corruption and impunity, will be fundamental pillars for the bilateral relationship and to ensure peace and prosperity in the region.
During the call, Chancellor Hill Tinoco said on Twitter that “a wide variety of issues of mutual interest were raised, such as investment, migration, rule of law and security”. In addition, he expressed his commitment to strengthen the relationship.
However, this is not at its best. In Washington, Bukele’s abuses of power are increasingly condemned, and as a result, Bukele was unable to arrange a meeting with officials of the Biden administration during a recent express visit to the US capital.
For Leonor Selva, nominee Nuestro Tiempo for a deputation and expert on international affairs, it is noteworthy that the conversation took place over the phone after the Biden team refused to meet with Bukele.
This formality is an indirect message to the government of El Salvador that ‘the special treatment’ or ‘favoritism’ that Trump has instituted for (Bukele) will no longer continue and that the Biden administration will hope that the relationship will be more formal and legal. . Selva said.
In addition, he said there is a clear emphasis that El Salvador must strengthen its “fight against corruption, respect for the rule of law and respect for human rights … issues that will henceforth weigh equally on the United States, and those will be issues. which El Salvador must respect and give priority to maintain good relations between the countries ”.
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For Funde’s Executive Director, Roberto Rubio, the signal is strong: Washington has “changed the chip” and the priority is to defend democracy and eradicate corruption.
“The problem is that this Washington agenda goes in the opposite direction to the Salvadoran government’s agenda, which is precisely the weakening of the rule of law, democratic collapse and corruption,” Rubio said.
This clash of priorities creates tensions between the two governments, Funde’s director predicts.