Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Thursday suggested the U.S. government offer temporary work visas and eventually citizenship to those who take part in a vast tree planting program he hopes to expand to Central America.
In remarks at a White House virtual climate summit, Lopez Obrador said that Mexico aimed to expand his administration's signature "Sembrando Vida," or "Sowing Life," program to Central America, which he said is planting 700,000 trees.
"I add a complementary proposal, with all due respect, the U.S. government could offer those who participate in this program that after sowing their lands for three consecutive years, they would have the possibility to obtain a temporary work visa," Lopez Obrador said. "The energy produced with water is clean and cheap, which is why we have decided to change old turbines for modern equipment, which will allow us to take advantage of the water from the reservoirs to produce more energy without building new dams and without causing any damage," he said.
Mexico Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Wednesday said he had spoken to U.S climate envoy John Kerry and they agreed on the priority of reducing methane gas emissions and recovering the rainforest of southern Mexico and Central America.At the virtual conference, Lopez Obrador also framed worker opportunities through tree planting as a potential way to address a cycle of poverty that has led millions of people to leave Mexico and Central America in recent years.