From May 31 – June 1, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to San Salvador, El Salvador as the Head of the United States Presidential Delegation to the inauguration of President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele. Secretary Mayorkas was joined by United States Ambassador to the Republic of El Salvador William H. Duncan; Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce, Marisa Lago; Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Brian A. Nichols; Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, U.S. Department of State, Julieta Valls Noyes; and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere, National Security Council, Daniel P. Erikson.
During the visit, Secretary Mayorkas met with President Bukele to discuss the many cultural, and economic ties our two countries share and reaffirmed the mutual commitment to address our common challenges. The discussions focused on enhancing the rule-of-law to ensure sustainable security for Salvadorans, strengthening enforcement actions against narcotics trafficking, and advancing effective migration management. The Secretary also expressed gratitude for El Salvador’s contributions to the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti. The Secretary and the President committed to working together to foster continued economic growth and development in El Salvador, including increasing the utilization of H-2 temporary work visas for Salvadoran nationals. They also highlighted the continued strong partnership between our countries in reducing irregular migration flows through increased enforcement and strengthened visa regimes.
Secretary Mayorkas congratulated President Bukele on his inauguration and the two leaders committed to ensuring robust bilateral cooperation on a range of issues that will benefit the citizens of the United States and El Salvador.