Rep Ruiz will join VP Harris for inauguration of Honduranian president
Local Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz will join Vice President Kamala Harris for the inauguration of Honduranian president Xiomara Castro, the Central American country’s first female president.
"President Castro's inauguration as the first woman to lead the Honduran government is truly historic and represents an incredible opportunity to strengthen our partnerships in the Western Hemisphere and advance our common interests. I look forward to continuing to collaborate under Vice President Harris' strong leadership and stand ready to work with the incoming Castro administration to create economic prosperity, combat corruption, and address the root causes of migration"
- Rep. Ruiz wrote on his Facebook page
Harris has been tasked by President Joe Biden with the hefty job of finding solutions on immigration at the Southwest border. Tens of thousands of Hondurans and other Central American migrants come to the border every month seeking a better life. U.S. border officials stopped migrants more than 1.7 million times during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, nearly quadruple the number from 458,088 in the previous fiscal year, when the coronavirus first struck.
The visit is an effort 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’ Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in a statement.
Harris will lead a delegation that includes U.S. leaders in economic, international development, and global affairs. Ruiz serves as the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
As @HispanicCaucus Chair, I look forward to continuing our shared work to strengthen our partnerships, create economic opportunity, combat corruption, and address the root causes of migration.
— Raul Ruiz (@RepRaulRuizMD) January 27, 2022
Ruiz has previously met with Harris to discuss his concerns with the region, as he told MSNBC last June, following her trip to Central America.
Castro, the leftist opposition party candidate, won out over the country’s ruling party in November. She will be inaugurated Jan. 27.
She is the former first lady and her husband, José Manuel Zelaya was ousted by the army in a coup in 2009. She rode a wave of popular discontent with 12 years of National Party governance, which peaked in former President Juan Orlando Hernández’s second term.
