Harris to travel to Honduras for new president’s inauguration

Vice President Harris will lead the Biden administration’s delegation to Honduras later this month for the inauguration of the country’s new president, the White House announced Tuesday.

Harris will travel to the Central American nation for the Jan. 27 inauguration of President-elect Xiomara Castro.

“The Vice President’s visit will further the commitment she and President-elect Castro made during their December 10 phone call to deepen the partnership between the United States and Honduras and work together to advance economic growth, combat corruption, and address the root causes of migration,” Harris’s deputy press secretary, Sabrina Singh, said in a statement.

The trip will mark the second time Harris has traveled to a Northern Triangle country since she was tasked last spring with leading the administration’s efforts to address root causes of migration to the U.S.

The vice president traveled to Mexico and Guatemala in June, a trip that proved controversial after Harris took heat from activists and members of her own party for telling migrants “do not come” to the U.S., despite it being the administration’s message at the time. 

Harris in December announced that additional companies will invest millions to improve the economy in Central America as part of her effort to address the root causes of migration. The new commitments were part of a “call to action” that Harris announced in May. White House officials said that they bring the total of investments the vice president has secured to $1.2 billion.