The U.S. Policies towards the Northern Triangle Countries as an Example of Regional Approach to Providing Foreign Assistance

Abstract

The following article attempts to examine the U.S. approach towards relations with the Northern Triangle countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) as an integral direction of their foreign policy. Providing foreign aid poses as the main object of research, through comparing the principal features of the course pursued by U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joseph Biden administrations in the practices of particular governmental agencies as well as the interaction between the executive branch and the Congress. The topic is especially vital as a result of unprecedented politicization of the Northern Triangle problem in the context of migratory crisis. Succession and innovation is established by looking into the programs of foreign aid and the levers of security policies modernization in its “soft’ and ‘tough” components. It shows that initially the base for building up the framework of U.S. influence was motivated by combating organized crime, narcotics supply reduction and curbing the influx of undocumented migrants. Notwithstanding party affiliation, it remains a priority both for Congress and the White House, although the questions of human rights and institutional development are ranked higher by the Democrats. Prospects of consolidating the much-sought “comprehensive approach” to the sub-region are undertaken, with drawing the borders of the unique space for actions by adopting targeted programs. It is concluded that from the standpoint of development assistance to the Northern Triangle and involving other partners for the achievement of the U.S. goals the methods applied are mostly successful. Meanwhile, trying to fix the structural problems will be inevitably marked by disproportions and suffer setbacks due to the different inner political situation in each country.