Look Beyond Traditional Solutions to the Immigration Crisis
As leaders in Washington debate over solutions to the immigration crisis at our southern border, a recent opinion editorial by James “Spider” Marks, a retired U.S. Army major general and strategic adviser to the GAIN Coalition, offers a hands on solution that involves digging deeper into why Hondurans and Latin Americans are fleeing their home countries in the first place.
Marks suggests the idea of an “energy marriage between the United States and Honduras” to address the immigrant crisis. He notes that this partnership would be mutually beneficial in advancing both Honduran and American national security while addressing migration concerns. He notes:
“Honduras is a country lacking sufficient energy infrastructure, resulting in poor availability and reliability. There are undoubtedly humanitarian gains to be made through a happy matrimony between the Honduran and U.S. energy sectors.”
The U.S. is a leader in the energy sector achieving production records and setting high expectations across the globe. We have set production records this year and are on our way to become a net energy exporter by 2020. On the other hand, Honduras’s energy sector has not fared as well with its nationalized energy provider suffering consistent financial losses. Marks explains:
“[T]he United States is perfectly positioned to help Honduras get ahead of this crisis by pursuing private investment there from energy companies. In particular, the natural gas sector is experiencing a boon from which Honduras and its citizens can benefit.”
The GAIN Coalition adamantly supports seeking investment opportunities in neighboring countries to not only share learned knowledge and expertise, but to increase market share for U.S. energy companies. Not only would this approach help stabilize the Honduran energy supply, it would create unique economic stimulus in the U.S. thus providing tax revenues and capital expenditures to Americans.