Children Crossing the US Border without Parents … including a 7-Year-Old Kid

David’s father paid the coyotes (a term that refers to the human smugglers from Central America and Mexico) to help his son enter the United States. The 7-year-old child embarked on a 2,400-kilometer (1,491-mile) journey from El Salvador to Dallas with other people entering the country illegally. He walked with the promise of receiving a good education, and being brave, he followed his father’s words. In the three Central American countries (Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras) called the Northern Triangle, there are many children like David heading to the United States with the coyotes. More than 9,000 children crossed the border without parents in February alone, up 60% from January.

Along with Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Belize, Costa Rica and Panama, the three countries are members of the Central American Integration System, which was established in 1993. Central America is a treasure trove of indigenous peoples’ cultural heritage. Not only is it rich in biodiversity, but it also serves as a bridge between the Americas along the Panama Canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans surrounding Central and South America. Central American Integration System member countries have a population of about 57 million, a gross domestic product of about $108 million, and international investments of about $3 billion.

However, the size of the population and the economy, which is the basis for development, is declining every year. Poverty and inequality, political and economic hardship, natural resource protection, disaster management and prevention, organized crime and security are problems that member states cannot solve themselves. COVID-19, which disproportionately affected Latin America in terms of public health and economy, has exposed deficiencies in governance across the region. In the aftermath of failed populism, corruption and collapsed democracy, people have been deprived of their rights.

The United States has always been troubled by the problems in this region. As the region is geographically close to the United States, concerns have been raised about the emergence of terrorist forces, and more than 60,000 members of organized crime groups have crossed the border and committed crimes such as drug and weapon trafficking. The number of caravans (a procession of migrants from Central American countries and Mexico trying to enter the United States to escape crime and political persecution) is increasing day by day. The Obama administration increased aid for the Northern Triangle to $750 million to address the root cause of immigration, after a surge in asylum applications for unaccompanied minors. These efforts were beginning to bear fruit as homicides in the region decreased, but they did not stop the procession of illegal immigration. Former President Donald Trump threatened to cut off or substantially reduce the large-scale aid provided to Central American countries if caravans continued. President Joe Biden’s approach follows former President Barack Obama’s late-term policy. However, neither carrots nor sticks have had any effect.

The Central American Integration System is seeking economic integration and political stability with the help of regional observers from 11 American countries and nonregional observers from 21 countries, including Korea, but a fundamental solution is a long way off. In South Korea, Latin America has been known to be “rising” for decades. When will the time come for children from Central America like David to remain in their homelands instead of heading to the United States, and become the rising forces of Central and South America? At the Central American Integration System summit in June this year, the United States praised South Korea’s support for the region and demanded more active participation. South Korea also promised inclusive and future-oriented cooperation. Let’s hope that Korea-Central America Integration System cooperation is a cooperation that also looks out for our interests following the praise from the United States. Hopefully, the land of infinite possibilities will become the driving force to unleash its potential through its own efforts. And when that time comes, Korea and Latin America will become a little closer.