Report—Jobs, Migration, and Security: A New Agenda for Central American Resilience

Donald Trump’s re-election ushers in a new era of heightened focus on irregular migration, national security, and economic development. As a result, the Mundo Maya region, comprised of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and parts of Southern Mexico, faces mounting pressure to address internal challenges that are driving outward migration.

This report synthesizes a series of recommendations derived from three roundtable discussions led by Council of the Americas alongside private sector representatives, U.S. government officials, and experts from international financial institutions, which focused on identifying and addressing barriers to investment in the region. The report examines the critical economic and governance challenges facing the Mundo Maya, while highlighting opportunities for transformative growth through less restrictive trade policies and strategic investments in energy, and infrastructure.

By promoting trade integration and regulatory harmonization, modernizing infrastructure, and leveraging the region's renewable energy potential, the Mundo Maya can position itself as a competitive hub for nearshoring and a key partner in North American supply chains. This, in turn, will lead to greater economic opportunity in the region, producing lessened outward migration flows. These findings are intended to serve as actionable insights for the incoming administration, offering a roadmap for policies that foster economic resilience, reduce migration pressures, and support sustainable development in the region.

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