Office of President López Obrador

Mexcio President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele in Chiapas, Mexico.

MEXICO CITY — Mexico continues to expand its operations to detain and deport migrants. But its president also started a parallel strategy to fight migration: investing in trees across Central America.  

Mexico’s president Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the plan is to stop migration with new employment opportunities in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The investment would go into growing fruit and wood trees.

Nayib Bukele, the recently-elected president of El Salvador, met with AMLO in Chiapas on Thursday; his country will be Mexico’s first beneficiary.

“You [Mexicans] don’t eat Salvadoran pupusas as we [Salvadorans] eat Mexican tacos, but trust me: both of our countries are the same people,” Bukele said jokingly, adding that AMLO is setting an example to the rest of the world with this policy.

López Obrador said the initial investment in El Salvador is for $30 million. According to AMLO, part of these efforts is to avoid trade conflicts with the U.S., but it's also an expression of faith.

“Doesn’t the Bible say, be nice towards outsiders?” said AMLO on a public event.

AMLO said President Donald Trump understands Mexico’s perspective. The Mexican president also said he would like to meet with his American counterpart in September.