The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 10, 2015

FACT SHEET: U.S. Cooperation with Central America; Meeting with Members of the Central America Integration System (SICA)

At the 2015 Summit of the Americas in Panama, President Obama met with the leaders of Central America Integration System (SICA) member states and the SICA Secretary General on April 10 to underscore the strong U.S. commitment to, and partnership with, Central America.  The U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America promotes the goal of an economically integrated region that provides economic opportunities to its people, enjoys more accountable, transparent, and effective public institutions, and ensures a safe environment for its citizens.

President Obama requested $1 billion from the U.S. Congress for Fiscal Year 2016 in support of the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America in all seven Central American nations.  While the United States will prioritize assistance to the Northern Triangle – El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras – our strategy is region-wide.  Central America’s prosperity and security, its opportunities and challenges, are inextricably linked and have a direct impact on the rest of the hemisphere. 

Eleven years have passed since the August 2004 signing of the Dominican Republic-Central America - United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), when our countries committed to promote economic growth, expand trade and investment opportunities, and strengthen both regional integration and competitiveness of the parties, yielding positive results for the seven partners of this trading bloc.

Higher and sustained growth is required to create opportunity and reduce poverty.   Despite the economic challenges faced by the world economy in recent years, the intra-regional trade among Central American countries and the Dominican Republic increased from US$6.3 billion in 2010 to more than US$8 billion by 2014.  U.S goods exports to Central America and the Dominican Republic in 2014 were $31.3 billion, up 99 percent from 2004; U.S. good imports from Central America and the Dominican Republic totaled $28.4 billion in 2014, up 60 percent over that same period.  These increased trade flows are promising, and stronger economic growth is possible with greater economic integration. 

At the meeting with SICA Heads of State, President Obama encouraged his counterparts to pursue regional integration, promote trade facilitation, and approach security as a region.  He also noted that sustainable economic growth is more likely when a country enjoys transparent, accountable democratic institutions and a strong commitment to citizen security.

Promoting Regional Economic Integration and Growth

Central America’s place at the geographic crossroads of this hemisphere is a tremendous economic asset.  In order to make the most of this advantage, Central American nations should continue to work together to integrate and grow their economies by reducing tariffs, investing in infrastructure and border facilities, streamlining customs procedures, and partnering with each other on issues such as energy.   The region is the focal point of the Connecting the Americas 2022 initiative, which will help attract investment in clean energy and reduce energy costs by interconnecting the region’s electricity markets.  The United States has just launched a $20 million facility to drive private sector investment into clean energy projects in the Caribbean and Central America. The Facility will provide early-stage funding to catalyze larger private sector investment in clean energy projects.  The United States will also partner with Central American and Caribbean countries in a task force to evaluate our progress on energy cooperation and identify concrete steps to advance energy sector reform, regional integration, and clean energy development. 

Countries should accelerate actions such as improved access to and quality of education, vocational training opportunities, and small business development models to encourage entrepreneurship and ensure growth that is broad-based and equitable.   By improving public financial management, governments also will be better equipped to make key public investments, provide critical public services, improve fiscal transparency and over time decrease the need for international donor support.  Deeper regional integration can also help build resilience against destabilizing events such as natural disasters, for example through pooled efforts to insure against risk. 

Cooperating on Violence Prevention and Combating Crime

U.S. engagement on security complements the efforts of host nations and like-minded donors to reduce levels of crime and violence, strengthen rule of law institutions, and help address the root causes of insecurity that impede broader economic development and social inclusion.  Our programs in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala amplify local government efforts to promote crime prevention and police capacity-building in the most adversely affected communities.   We are similarly united in our efforts to combat transnational organized, crime, including by providing support to improve land border and maritime interdiction throughout the region, and cooperating with partner nations to investigate and prosecute those who conduct human smuggling operations exploiting the desperation of parents and children making the dangerous journey north.   In Panama, the Regional Border Management Academy conducts training of border officials, while in Costa Rica, our assistance to prisons, border police training, and support for nationwide use of data-driven policing is positioning them as a regional model.

In November 2014, the U.S. Department of State announced its in-country refugee processing program in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.  The program is part of the Obama Administration’s response to last summer’s influx of unaccompanied children and families fleeing to the United States from Central America and will work to provide a safe, legal, and orderly alternative to the dangerous journey that some children are currently undertaking to the United States.  The new program allows parents from those nations, who are lawfully present in the United States, to submit an application to have their children join them in the United States if they qualify for refugee status or humanitarian parole.

Sustaining Economic and Security Gains through Accountable Governance

The enabling environment for sustained growth, stability and prosperity for the region will require good governance, including support for democratic values, strengthening of criminal justice and other legal institutions to combat impunity and promote the rule of law, and advancing rights and protections for civil society and the media.  The private sector, small business owners, and international investors want confidence in the security of their investment and assurances that business dealings are fair and legal.  Institutions must establish a pattern of transparency, accountability, effectiveness, and independence. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 10, 2015

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on the Situation in Yarmouk Refugee Camp

We welcome UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s statement on the situation in Yarmouk refugee camp, and join him in calling for an end to hostilities, access for humanitarian assistance, and safe passage for civilians who wish to escape safely.

The Yarmouk camp has been besieged by the Syrian regime for nearly two years, and its residents have been denied access to food, potable water, and medical supplies.  Those Palestinian refugees living inside the camp are now caught between ISIL and the Syrian regime, which continues to indiscriminately attack civilians, including with artillery and barrel bombs, in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2139.

All parties must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law.  The siege of Yarmouk must be lifted and the safe evacuation of civilians must be allowed.  Civilians who manage to leave Yarmouk must be granted immediate and safe passage; families must not be separated; and departing civilians must not be detained.  We further call on the Syrian regime to halt aerial bombardment in order to allow civilians to leave the camp. 

We applaud the efforts of the UN Relief and Works Agency to help protect civilians in Yarmouk.  Across Syria, more than 440,000 people are trapped in communities besieged by the Syrian Regime, ISIL and other armed groups.  The terrible toll the war has taken on Syria’s civilians underscores the urgent need for a political solution to end the fighting.  It also highlights the profound need for the perpetrators of sieges and atrocities against the civilian population to be held accountable.

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 10, 2015

Upcoming Guidance on the "The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House"

Event includes Evening Performance and Daytime Student Workshop
Honoring Gospel Music

Tuesday, April 14, 2015 * The White House – The President and First Lady will invite music legends and top contemporary artists to the White House as part of its “In Performance at the White House” series. The event will pay tribute to the fundamental role gospel music has played in the American musical tradition and the important artists and repertoire that have marked its vibrant history. The program will include performances by Bishop Rance Allen, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Aretha Franklin, Rodney Crowell, Rhiannon Giddens, Emmylou Harris, Darlene Love, Lyle Lovett, Tamela Mann, the Morgan State University Choir, and Michelle Williams — with T Bone Burnett as executive music director and Billy Maxwell as music director. The President’s remarks will be pooled press and the entire event will be streamed live at WhiteHouse.gov/live at 7:00 PM (ET).  “The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House” will be broadcast Friday, June 26, 2015 at 9:00 PM ET on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings).  The program will also be simulcast on TV One.

As with previous White House music events, the First Lady will host a special daytime workshop for students. The First Lady will welcome more than 130 middle school, high school and college students from across the country to take part in an interactive student workshop: “The History of Gospel Music.” Beginning at 11:00 AM in the State Dining Room, Robert Santelli, Executive Director of The GRAMMY Museum® in Los Angeles, will give participating students an overview of the origins of gospel music, discuss important artists and explore the unique elements of gospel that have inspired the sound of other American musical genres. Featured performers from the evening event will share their experiences and answer student questions about the music and entertainment world.  Students will participate from 24 schools across the country: Los Angeles and Oakland, CA; Kahuku and Waipahu, HI; Sandy Spring, MD; Cleveland, MS; Asbury Park and West Long Branch, NJ; Somers, NY; Memphis, TN; Falls Church, VA.

“The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House” will be the fourteenth such program during President Barack Obama’s administration. From February 2009 to the most recent broadcast in November 2014, these “In Performance at the White House” events have honored the musical genius of Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, Hal David and Carole King; celebrated Hispanic musical heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month; marked Black History Month with events featuring the music of Motown, Memphis Soul, the Blues, and from the Civil Rights Movement; explored the rich roots of Country music; and spotlighted Broadway and the unique spirit of the American musical. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 09, 2015

FACT SHEET: The President’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative and Programs to Support Youth Development in Central America and the Caribbean

Today, President Obama launched the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) to expand opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs and civil society activists.  Building on the success of the President’s young leader initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, YLAI will incubate and accelerate the work of young business and civil society leaders from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States.  YLAI will provide 250 fellowships each year to enable participants from the United States and the region to develop joint business and civil society initiatives.  The preponderance of the fellowships will take place at universities, incubators, and non-governmental organizations across the United States, while follow-on exchanges will send Americans to Latin America and the Caribbean to continue the collaboration.  YLAI fellows will receive ongoing support through a continuum of networking, mentorship, and investment opportunities. 

Fifty-eight percent of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean is under 35.  Despite important economic gains over the last decade, significant challenges – including limited access to jobs, capital, and advanced educational opportunities, and the availability of illicit employment opportunities – hold many youth back from reaching their full potential.  YLAI will help address the opportunity gap for youth, especially women, by empowering entrepreneurs and civil society leaders with the training, tools, networks, and resources they need to transform their societies and contribute more fully to economic development and prosperity, security, human rights, and good governance in the hemisphere. 

YLAI Goals: Connections, Co-Creation, and Contributing to Growth

Building linkages between young leaders across the hemisphere is a central objective of the initiative.  Through its fellowships, YLAI aims to foster over 50 formal business and civil society partnerships each year between emerging entrepreneurial and civil society entities in Latin America and the Caribbean with their counterparts in the United States.  As part of the President’s Spark Global Entrepreneurship initiative, YLAI will contribute to the United States’ global goal of generating $1 billion dollars for emerging business and social entrepreneurs by the end of 2017, by helping fellows attract new support, investments, and in-kind resources for their business or organization each year.  For startup businesses, social enterprises, and civil society organizations, this infusion of funding, resources, and support will play a critical role in enabling their development, expansion, and sustainability.

The YLAI Fellowship: Building Business and Social Innovations

The fellowship will include six weeks of training, immersion at an incubator, accelerator, or civil society organization, and a summit in Washington, D.C. to facilitate mentoring, networking, and investment opportunities.  The summit will provide participants with the opportunity to showcase their initiatives and attract new investments, learn from others, network with leading figures in their field, as well as hear from top business, government, and civil society leaders.  YLAI will provide participants returning to their countries and communities with access to virtual resources, training, mentoring, and, most importantly, platforms to continue their collaboration.  The first class of 250 fellows will begin in 2016.

The YLAI Pilot: Focus on Technology

YLAI will commence in 2015 with a pilot program involving 24 participants from Latin America and the Caribbean, including Cuba.  The pilot program will focus on the creation and expansion of business and civil society initiatives that utilize technology by embedding participants in incubators and accelerators across the United States.  Participants will work on new technological applications that their host company or organization uses or seeks to develop.   American participants will also have the opportunity to travel to their counterparts’ countries as part of the pilot program.  Interested applicants can sign up for updates on the fellowship on the YLAI ShareAmerica page:  http://share.america.gov/ylai

Increasing Investment in At-Risk Youth in Central America and the Caribbean

Promoting social development is a key aspect of the United States’ comprehensive approach to partnerships in the Western Hemisphere.  Achieving regional stability and long-term prosperity in the global economy depends on equipping youth with the skills they need to compete in the 21st century workforce.  There remains a significant need in Central America and the Caribbean for youth to access high quality education and vocational training.  Through $68 million in new funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Labor, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the United States is expanding education, training, and employment programs for youth throughout Central America and the Caribbean. 

Starting this year, USAID will invest $35 million in a new higher education program designed to strengthen the capacity of technical training institutions in the region to provide market-relevant training for disadvantaged populations in Central America and the Caribbean.  This program builds on lessons learned from the $50 million initiative Scholarships for Education and Economic Development Program, a 2009 Summit of the Americas initiative, which provides scholarships to marginalized individuals for training opportunities in the United States.  Additionally, a $13 million Department of Labor program in El Salvador and Honduras will build partnerships with employers to develop market-relevant skills training for at-risk youth.  Through this project, young people will gain valuable skills in secure learning environments, in some cases living in a residential center while receiving training.  An extended period of follow-up support will help ensure they obtain and retain jobs, or can pursue opportunities for self-employment.  Finally, recognizing that low levels of human capital are a constraint on economic growth in Guatemala, MCC will launch this year a $20 million education project under its threshold agreement that will improve the quality, equity, and relevance of secondary education to better prepare the country’s diverse youth to succeed in the labor market.  The MCC program will also support efforts to mobilize additional resources from the Government of Guatemala that would allow increased public funding for education.  These initiatives complement the Multilateral Investment Fund and International Youth Foundation’s New Employment Opportunities Initiative, launched at the 2012 Summit of the Americas, to train one million youth in partnership with private sector organizations by 2022.

Building on Robust Investments in Youth and Entrepreneurship

These new efforts build on a strong foundation of United States’ support to and engagement with the region’s youth.  They also complement American programs working to advance the frontiers of entrepreneurship across the hemisphere.  The President’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative has helped to substantially increase the number of educational exchanges between the United States and countries in the region.  The number of students from across the Americas coming to study in the United States has increased by over thirteen percent since the start of the initiative.  The number of Americans studying in the hemisphere has risen by more than twelve percent in that time.  The 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative will help ensure that our region is the most competitive in the world, because of its ability to reach across borders to solve common problems and find new opportunities. 

The Small Business Network of the Americas, launched by the President Obama in 2012, supports the establishment of small business development centers (SBDCs), incubators, and other community-based centers where entrepreneurs can get help to grow their business.  To date, the United States has assisted governments, universities, and local partners in creating 68 SBDCs, and 102 more are planned by 2016.  President Obama launched the Women Entrepreneurs in the Americas (WEAmericas) at the 2012 Summit of the Americas.  WEAmericas leverages public-private partnerships to encourage inclusive economic growth in the Western Hemisphere.  The initiative is reducing barriers and increasing opportunities for women entrepreneurs to start and grow small and medium-sized enterprises by improving access to markets, access to capital, skills and capacity building, and leadership opportunities.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 09, 2015

FACT SHEET: U.S.-CARICOM Summit – Deepening Energy Cooperation

Today, President Obama met with Caribbean leaders in a U.S.-CARICOM Summit in Kingston, Jamaica.  President Obama reaffirmed the importance of our relationship with the region, and the United States’ commitment to partner with Caribbean countries to advance economic development, security, and good governance.  Leaders discussed a broad range of issues, from our important trade and investment linkages to security cooperation. 
 
The leaders’ discussion focused on the importance of improving energy security, reducing energy costs, and fighting climate change.  This follows robust engagement on these issues over the last year, including the White House Caribbean Energy Security Summit hosted by the Vice President in January 2015 and the launch of the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative (CESI) coordinated by the Department of State. The United States is deepening this collaboration through the following initiatives:
 
Clean Energy Finance Facility for the Caribbean and Central American (CEFF-CCA): The United States will launch a $20 million facility to encourage investment in clean energy projects.  The facility will provide early-stage funding to catalyze greater private and public sector investment in clean energy projects.  It will draw on the expertise of the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State. 
 
Energy Security Task Force: The United States will partner with Caribbean and Central American countries in a task force to evaluate progress in our cooperation and identify concrete steps to advance energy sector reform, regional integration, and clean energy development. 
 
Clean Energy Finance: In January, OPIC formed a dedicated financing and insurance team to advance development of the Caribbean renewable energy sector. OPIC is in advanced talks to finance a 20 MW solar farm in Jamaica, and has already committed financing to Jamaica’s largest private-sector wind farm, a 36 MW facility in Malvern, St. Elizabeth Parish.  OPIC is actively looking for opportunities to support solar and wind energy projects in Jamaica and throughout the broader Caribbean region.
 
Clean Energy Technology Collaboration: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Jamaica’s Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining signed a statement of intent today to advance our shared interest in sustainable energy.  Areas for potential cooperation include energy conservation and efficiency, energy infrastructure, micro grids and energy storage, fuel diversification, and energy policy.
 
Clean Energy Economy Transition: The Department of Energy assembled U.S. and Caribbean stakeholder working groups to look at opportunities ranging from clean energy, efficiency, diversifying electricity generation, clean transportation and energy education, at the Caribbean Clean Energy Technology Symposium, held in St. Thomas in March. The working groups will report on progress at the 2016 Symposium to be hosted by Jamaica. Also, the Department of Energy will launch a new Energy Scenario Planning Tool¸ building on its Energy Transitions: Island Playbook, to help island communities plan clean energy projects that are most likely to attract investment, capitalize on local resources, and meet energy needs. 
 
Greening Tourism: The tourism industry is the largest energy user in the Caribbean. The Department of Energy, with its Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and OPIC are undertaking the Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficiency and Renewables (CHEER) initiative, which supports projects to improve energy and water efficiency as well as the exchange of best practices in the hotel and tourism industry.  USAID is launching a complementary project focused on the Eastern Caribbean that will develop new financing tools for energy efficiency and renewables.
 
Jamaica Clean Energy Program: USAID is working with the Government of Jamaica and the private sector on a new integrated Clean Energy Program to establish the pre-conditions for clean energy development, optimize renewable energy integration, and accelerate private-sector clean energy investment.
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 08, 2015

Statement by the President on the Retirement of Congresswoman Lois Capps

Lois Capps and her family have served the people of California’s Central Coast for almost four decades.  For 20 years, she was a nurse and public health advocate while her husband Walter served in Congress.  When Walter tragically passed away, Lois ran for his seat in Congress, and for the past 17 years she has continued his legacy of service while leaving a lasting legacy of her own.  She has led efforts to increase access to health care, improve mental health services, detect and prevent domestic violence, protect our environment, and improve education—all while consistently being voted the “nicest member of Congress.” Her experience, optimism, and tenacity will be missed, but I look forward to working with Congresswoman Capps over the next two years, and Michelle and I wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 08, 2015

President Obama Signs Connecticut Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Connecticut and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by the severe winter storm and snowstorm during the period of January 26-28, 2015.

Federal funding is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm and snowstorm in the counties of New London, Tolland, and Windham.

In addition, federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for snow assistance for a continuous 48 hour period during or proximate to the incident period in the counties of New London, Tolland, and Windham.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Albert L. Lewis as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. 

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 08, 2015

Readout of the President's Call with Duke University Men’s Basketball Coach Krzyzewski

Yesterday, the President called Duke University Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski to congratulate him and his team on their exciting victory in the NCAA Men’s College Basketball National Championship. The President noted that this win was the culmination of an impressive year for the team, and how inspiring it was to see so many underclassmen help lead the team throughout the tournament, particularly in the final game. The President looks forward to welcoming the Duke Blue Devils to the White House to congratulate the entire team in person.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 08, 2015

Readout of the President's Call with the University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball Coach Auriemma

Today, President Obama called University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma to congratulate him and the Huskies for winning the NCAA national championship. The President noted that under Coach Auriemma’s leadership, the Huskies have won ten national championship titles and have made the University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball program a sports powerhouse. The President said he looks forward to welcoming the team back to the White House to celebrate their victory.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 08, 2015

Readout of the President’s Meeting on Ebola

Today the President met with his international health and national security teams to discuss what more can be done to get to zero Ebola cases in West Africa.  The President’s advisors updated him on the situation in the region and briefed him on measures currently underway to end the epidemic in Sierra Leone and Guinea.  The President emphasized the urgency of getting to zero, and directed his team to staying engaged to prevent future outbreaks from becoming epidemics, reiterating that the U.S. Government will continue the fight against Ebola until all cases in the affected countries are contained.