Latin America reels from pandemic, desperate for vaccines as Blinken makes 1st trip to region

Before Vice President Kamala Harris heads south, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making a similar trip focused on migration and development, but amid the pandemic.

Days before Vice President Kamala Harris heads south to Central America, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making a similar trip focused on migration and development, but to a region still reeling from the pandemic. While the Biden administration has promised to share up to 80 million COVID-19 vaccines overseas, it still has not detailed where or how it will provide them, as some Latin American countries, desperate for doses, lobby for help. Blinken arrived in Costa Rica Tuesday afternoon, where he will attend a summit of Central American countries, as well as Mexico and the Dominican Republic. "We increasingly face common challenges requiring collaborative solutions," the State Department said in a statement about his trip Tuesday. "It is imperative that we work together to promote democracy and good governance, respect for human rights, security, prosperity, and good environmental stewardship."