Yesterday afternoon, President Barack Obama met with the Presidents of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to address the migrant crisis which filled headlines this week. Reports announced that 57,000 migrant children have been arrested and detained along the United States’ southwestern border. In front of la Casa Blanca, activists, journalists, and curious tourists alike gathered to demand justice for the children and families affected by U.S. foreign policy in Central America. Among various organizations, the Guatemala Human Rights Commission, Washington Peace Center, the School of the Americas Watch, and All Souls Church were represented in the turnout.

Unbeknownst to myself (and perhaps others) until recently this year, U.S. economic and military policy is the main force behind decades of economic turmoil, political repression, and human suffering throughout Latin America. This is why yesterday’s events are so important for the fate of Central American refugees—the Obama administration and Congress need to act quickly in order to ensure the safety of child migrants and their families. It will be a shame if a resolution cannot manifest before the approaching summer recess.

The rally started promptly at 3 PM, and lasted roughly an hour and fifteen minutes. After passionate speeches, uplifting music, and unifying chants, the lingering crowd witnessed Guatemalan President, Pérez Molina, address inquiries. This was a particularly cool moment for me, since only minutes before I was preparing to leave. After I was denied access to walk via Pennsylvania Avenue, I decided to stay to see the transport procession subsequent to Obama’s meeting with the Central American political representatives. At first, it appeared that Molina’s motorcade was set to immediately leave Pennsylvania Avenue. All of sudden, the trail of SUVs and DCPD squad cars circled around and let out the Guatemalan figure. His comments were brief, and among the frenzy of reporters I attempted to capture photos and snippets of his remarks, but to no avail. The previous day, Molina did share his perspective with the Washington Post in this article. According to Bloomberg, he proposed that El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala receive $2 billion in aid to “stem the crisis.”

President Obama’s remarks can be found here. He mentions how root problems must be acknowledged while also accounting for the parameters of United States immigration legislation.

To fill in where my post is obviously lacking, Harvest of Empire by Juan Gonzalez—which is where I was first exposed to this crisis—is both an excellent read and documentary which elucidates U.S. involvement in Latin America and relates that history to cycles of immigration.

Click here for more photos of the rally.