All smiles (at least in public), as Central American summit begins

US Vice President Mike Pence praised Central American leaders for their efforts to attack crime, corruption and narcotrafficking and assured them that “your success is our success” as a two-day summit on the region’s security and prosperity opened Thursday at Florida International University.

“In a word, we’re in this together,” Pence said. “You have the great respect of the president of the United States and the American people...This president knows your security and your prosperity are directly connected to ours.”

Pence’s speech was the highlight of a charm offensive between the United States, Mexico and the leaders of Central America’s so-called Northern Triangle — Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — that dominated the Conference on Prosperity and Security.

Pence and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were both full of accolades for the Central American leaders, who repaid the favor by politely avoiding — at least in the conference’s public sessions — any reference to their most contentious issue with the United States, the possible U.S. deportation next year of 300,000 Central American immigrants.

Source: Miami Herald