This is the best summary I could come up with:
He said many of those migrants are traveling on a route through Central America that includes the jungle-clad Darien Gap region between Panama and Colombia.
López Obrador seemed to join Colombian President Gustavo Petro in blaming the situation on U.S. sanctions on countries like Venezuela and Cuba, whose citizens make up a large part of the migrant flow.
Experts say economic mismanagement and political repression are largely to blame for the tide of migrants leaving those countries.
He called Friday for the U.S. “to remove blockades and stop harassing independent and free countries.” He said there should be “an integrated plan for cooperation so the Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans and Ecuadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans wouldn’t be forced to emigrate.”
There has been a surge in Venezuelan migrants moving through Mexico in recent weeks in a bid to reach the U.S. border.
Mexico has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine but has adopted a policy of neutrality and has refused to participate in sanctions.
The original article contains 423 words, the summary contains 162 words. Saved 62%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
“It’s more, a lot more, what they authorize for the war in Ukraine than what they give to help with poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Ordinarily I’m the one to call for defense spending to be shifted toward social programs, but this is the worst possible case for trying to make that argument.
Experts say economic mismanagement and political repression are largely to blame for the tide of migrants leaving those countries.
That’s kind of a weird line to include in an allegedly “straight news” article, since tons of other experts also seem to point to the sanctions as a big factor.
Example, [here].(https://globalaffairs.org/commentary-and-analysis/blogs/lifting-sanctions-could-reduce-pressure-us-border)
The sanctions can be a “big factor” and it can also “largely” be the cause of mismanagement. These are not incompatible.
Along with what other users have said, as long as the experts they spoke to said that, they are being accurate in their reporting. Just because the experts they spoke to said it, doesn’t mean it’s true.
If they just say “experts,” it gives the impression that there is a broad consensus in the field, which I’m not sure is the case here (cmv, I guess). If they just included that line after talking to like two people, that feels like a downgrade in quality from what I’d expect from AP.
I’m not going to attempt to change your view, because I agree with it. I just like to explore the other side of the coin sometimes.
There is a reaaon they are sanctioned. Nice try krembot.
Yes, there is. It’s called the Red Scare.
We should have dropped sanctions on Cuba once Fidel was out of the picture. There is very little reason to keep them going now.
What do you think the reasons are?
The stated purpose of the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 is to maintain sanctions on Cuba as long as the Cuban government refuses to move toward “democratization and greater respect for human rights.” cite
If that was actually true, half the countries the US trades with should be embargoed. Saudi Arabia, a monarchy?
U.S. goods and services trade with Saudi Arabia totaled an estimated $46.6 billion in 2022. Exports were $21.6 billion; imports were $24.9 billion. The U.S. goods and services trade deficit with Saudi Arabia was $3.3 billion in 2022. cite
Let’s not lie to ourselves, it’s always been about the Communism Boogie man. But if you want to cultivate capitalism in a country, cutting off the ability for free trade outside that country isn’t the way to do it. America’s influence stops other countries from trading there as well so they have no option but to rely on a government focused economic system as they’re the only ones with the ability to really participate in any market elsewhere. I agree that tankies can go fuck themselves, but you’re letting 60 year old propaganda get to you. The rest of the world has no problem with Cuba and it’s getting weirder and weirder that the US continues these unreasonable sanctions like a middle school bully holding a grudge well into middle-age. I can only assume you’re so sure because it’s just always been that way and you assume it’s for a good reason.
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I wouldn’t say it is a massive factor. It would likely help Cuba quite a bit. But Venezuela is an economic nightmare. Those two are also not the main source of immigration; central American nations are.
“Could” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that whole article.
Yeah, it’s a counterfactual so it’s hard for anyone to say with certainty when there are so many factors at play. That was sort of my point though, since the statement in OP’s article implies that Obrador is categorically wrong here.
Make your country better to live in for more than just gangs.
You don’t think they are trying? A number of steps have been taken to weaken cartels by the Mexican government in recent history, but as long as US remains simultaneously the biggest supplier of weapons for said gangs and their biggest customer when it comes to drugs, things are unlikely to change. Gotta look at the big picture, my guy.
I am not saying Mexico does not have problems of their own making, like corruption and inequality, but you can’t be looking at things in a vacuum.
Removed by mod
This might take the award for dumbest thing I’ve read today, and that includes someone blaming Americans for bedbugs in Europe.
If all of their money comes from the US buying their drugs, and all of their guns comes from the US companies selling them to anyone who can breathe, then how are local Mexican citizens supporting the cartels? You say being “rewarded with luxuries and sex.” You do realize that luxuries and sex come simply from having money, right? Anyone with money can get those things. Once again, the money is coming from the US, not from local Mexicans. The luxury goods are sold by luxury goods stores, which aren’t exactly commonplace in Mexico. The sex comes from prostitutes (usually forced into it), or gold diggers from all over the world, not just Mexico.
The only thing local Mexican citizens care about is not getting shot and killed by the guns smuggled from the US. What do you think would happen if some random shop owner in Oaxaca told a cartel member they couldn’t buy his goods?
Lol, maybe you need more life experience then.
You do realize that luxuries and sex come simply from having money, right? Anyone with money can get those things.
Yes. And gangbangers gangbang for money. Wow. What a shock. I’ve already addressed this in my previous comment: “Until they stop putting wealth on a pedestal and start holding people accountable for how they get that wealth, these problems won’t get solved.”
The only thing local Mexican citizens care about is not getting shot and killed by the guns smuggled from the US.
Really? I guess you have a point. Even the gangbangers care about not getting shot and killed, but I figure they have other matters to focus on as well.
If you think the issue is the US importing guns, you may be a tribalist just clinging to your side’s rhetoric. Try to think independently so you don’t repeat the same mistakes as other tribalists.
And gangbangers gangbang for money.
Where does that money come from? Hint: it isn’t from Mexican citizens.
start holding people accountable for how they get that wealth
Describe the process that a normal Mexican citizen can use to hold a gang member from the cartel accountable.
Lol, maybe you need more life experience then.
What life experience am I missing that you have that would let me understand your point?
Where does that money come from? Hint: it isn’t from Mexican citizens.
Uhh, yes it is. Please provide a source to the contrary.
Describe the process that a normal Mexican citizen can use to hold a gang member from the cartel accountable.
I’m not saying none of them are doing it, but as a society they have collectively chosen to make gangbanging a very viable and lucrative option for those involved. There are Mexicans that refuse to reward gangbangers with sex or social standing, but they are fewer and less powerful than those who reward gangbangers. It’s not a part of their collective culture to shun gangbanging.
What life experience am I missing that you have that would let me understand your point?
That luxuries and sex are the main reasons people make money. You take those away, and people will change their behavior to get them back. While I don’t see business owners checking where customers get their money, it’s definitely possible for women to avoid rewarding gangbangers with sex. They don’t, so we continue to see gangbanging as a viable option for gangbangers.
Gangbanging isn’t so fun when everyone around you, including women, despises you.
Please provide a source to the contrary.
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/magazine/how-a-mexican-drug-cartel-makes-its-billions.html
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/drug-use-by-country
Mexico is a PRODUCER and DISTRIBUTOR of drugs, not a consumer. America is a CONSUMER. The cartels don’t sell much cocaine in Mexico outside of to US tourists. Why would they? The same kilo they buy for $2k only gets them $10k in Mexico City vs $30k anywhere in the US… or $100k if they cut it themselves. The US consumes 10 times more opioids per capita than Mexico and 4 times more cocaine per capita, too. So we pay 3 times more for drugs and use 4 to 10 times more. The biggest problems they have are getting the drugs into the US and getting the money back into Mexico. It’s honestly ludicrous that you think a country with a GDP of 1.4 trillion gives more of its money to illegal drugs than a country with a GDP of 25 trillion. If the cartels made most of their money in Mexico, why would they go through all the time and effort to smuggle drugs into the US?
Finally, “luxuries and sex” (which by the way makes you sound like a 14 year old or a 40 year old incel) are common drivers around the world. A culture of putting rich and powerful people on a pedestal is not just a Mexico thing and is common around the world. So if your theory is correct, why do the cartels not have the same power in most other countries? And if you think I don’t have the life experience to understand why people choose to make money, then you are kind of an idiot. Regardless, that doesn’t address my point. I will go ahead and concede the point that “luxuries and sex” are why people make money (ignoring power and self esteem and other drivers… I mean, why do Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk keep trying to make more billions? It isn’t luxuries and sex after your first billion), but you say “take those away, and people will change their behavior to get them back.” Tell me how does the normal Mexican citizen take those away? You say it’s cultural, but do you think women in other countries deny sex to cartel members simply because of their job? I mean, completely ignoring that cartels are also heavily involved in prostitution and human trafficking for sex which is how the lower level members are getting sex, if you have money then there is no country in the world where you can’t get sex. So again, what makes Mexico so special in that regard?
Ah, yes, every Wednesday after work I have to go suck the cartel guys
No, but they are rewarded for their behavior with what people usually work for: luxuries and sex.
Until they stop putting wealth on a pedestal and start holding people accountable for how they get that wealth, these problems won’t get solved.
Not sure what about this is so difficult for you to understand.
Until they stop putting wealth on a pedestal and start holding people accountable for how they get that wealth, these problems won’t get solved.
Who, the American consumer?
A disgusting ignorant statement, you have no idea what you are talking about.
You’ve said nothing of substance.
Obrador is hitting his own supply.
