Guest column: UNF students focus on Central American challenges
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As proud Ospreys at UNF, we took on the challenge of U.S. policy toward the Northern Triangle to understand and help families fleeing the conditions in these turbulent countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. As Floridians, we should have a stronger partnership with this region with which Florida has nearly $10 billion in annual trade, including $4.7 billion in job supporting exports. Additionally, over 400,000 Floridians are immigrants from the region, reflecting the fact that one in three Floridians is either a first or second generation immigrant.
It’s time Floridians demand stronger action from Washington, both to stem the threats from the region and to help improve the prosperity of our neighbors. While we weren’t able to fly the coop and travel, we “zoomed” with U.S. officials across Washington, Guatemala’s ambassador to the U.S. and an official with a nongovernmental organization based in Guatemala.