Kamala Harris' plan to tackle migration with $540M in new investments from seven firms including Pepsi, Microsoft in Nespresso: Border czar doubles down on addressing 'root causes' to slow record crossings
Kamala Harris is announcing Monday $540 million in new private industry investments in Central America as the vice president continues to brush off criticism of her first year in office.
As part of her most high profile role addressing the 'root causes' of the southern border crisis, Harris has attracted seven new companies and organizations to invest in Northern Triangle countries in her effort to improve economic conditions and weed out corruption.
These new commitments include PepsiCo and PriceSmart. Some existing and expanded investments are coming from Mastercard, Microsoft and Nespresso.
In March, Biden tapped Harris as his 'border czar' to address one of the biggest issues facing the administration – especially in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The vice president's office quickly rebranded this position as addressing the root causes of migration by improving conditions in Central American countries, rather than stopping the flow of illegal immigration once it reaches the southern border.
Migrants continue to flood to the U.S. border with Mexico in record numbers with more than 1.6 million encounters with Customs and Border Protection since Joe Biden took office.
Vice President Kamala Harris is announcing Monday $540 million in new investments in Northern Triangle countries as part of her Call to Action to improve economic conditions and weed out corruption in Central America
Migrants construct a makeshift shelter along the U..-Mexico border wall on December 9 as they await transport to a U.S. Border Patrol processing center
Thousands of migrants continue to pour over the border every day. Here a caravan walk on the Puebla-Mexico highway toward the U.S. on Thursday
Those meeting with Harris Monday to discuss addressing 'root causes' of migration include Microsoft President Brad Smith (left), CEO of PepsiCo's Latin American division Paula Santilli (center) and CEO of Nespresso Guillaume Le Cunff (right)
During Joe Biden's time in office, Customs and Border Protection has encountered more than $1.6 million migrants at the southern border with Mexico
Harris' favorability is dismally low, with only 40 per cent approval, according to a Los Angeles Times average. Fifty-three per cent of respondents disapprove of her job as Biden's No. 2.
In the same approval tracking, Harris' approval dipped below her disapproval rating for the first time in early June, which was around the same time she was visiting Guatemala and Mexico as part of her border czar role.
It was also revealed Wednesday that Harris has only spoken with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei one time – during her trip down south in June.
Giammattei told Fox News' John Roberts that the June visit was 'the only' time he spoke with Harris.
Despite all this, Harris brushes off criticism of her first year as vice president amid reports of a feud between herself and President Biden. She would not directly answer any questions related to what she learned in the last year when asked by the San Francisco Chronicle in an interview last week or address her failures in the role so far.
Migrants part of a caravan heading to the U.S. board a truck on the Puebla-Mexico highway in Mexico on Thursday, December 9
Migrants walk along a highway while traveling in a caravan toward Mexico City on their way to the U.S. border on December 9
'There is nothing about this job that is supposed to be easy,' Harris said. 'If something is coming to me, it's because it needs to be addressed and because, by definition, it's not going to be easy.'
'If it was easy, it would have been handled before it comes to me,' she added.
Harris twice wouldn't directly answer a question whether she wished she'd done anything differently in her year as vice president.
'I love people, and there's so much that we are doing that is directly impacting and with the people in mind,' Harris said.
She also bashed reports claiming she thinks Bluetooth earphones are not secure as 'ridiculous'
The vice president is convening a meeting Monday afternoon with private sector CEOs to discuss their pledges to invest in Central America. The roundtable includes Microsoft President Brad Smith; Paula Santilli of PepsiCo's Latin American division; Nespresso CEO Guillaume Le Cunff; David MacLennan of Cargill; and Juan Pablo Mata of Grupo Mariposa, a food and beverage company based in Guatemala.
The seven new investments are coming from CARE International, Cargill, Grupo Mariposa, Parkdale Mills, PepsiCo, JDE Peet's, and PriceSmart.
Mastercard, Microsoft, Nespresso and Partnership for Central America already had commitments with Harris' Call to Action, but are announcing Monday additional action and investments in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
The biggest new investment comes from PepsiCo, which plans to spend $190 in Northern Central America through 2025. These investments include improving infrastructure and manufacturing plants, expanding to new distribution routes and IT projects.
Harris' approval rating dipped below her disapproval in early June, around the time she traveled to Guatemala and Mexico. Her approval currently sits around a dismal 40 per cent
Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei said in an interview Wednesday (right) that he has only spoken to Harris once – when she visited Guatemala in June (pictured left)
Cargill and Parkdale Mills each pledged $150 million for agricultural and manufacturing projects.
Nespresso also committed to supporting the region's economy with a minimum $150 million in spending across coffee purchases, price premiums and technical assistance by 2025.
Microsoft, which previously promised to give 3 million people in the region internet access, will up its commitment to 4 million people. It is also now promising to teach digital skills to 100,000 people.
Back on May 27, Harris announced a Call to Action from business and private entities to help address the root cause of migration by promoting economic opportunity in Northern Triangle nations.
These commitments now total more than $1.2 billion.
Harris initially announced the new commitments during closing remarks at a virtual event co-hosted by the State Department and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Partnership for Central America.
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