Clinton: Central America's Rich Fail to Fund Security

Reuters reports:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday businesses and the wealthy in Central America are not contributing enough to the fight against drug-related crime.

Speaking at a regional security conference, Clinton said Washington was committed to helping Central American nations boost security by providing training and aid for law enforcement, bolstering legal systems and spending on education.

She said the United States was raising the amount of funds allocated to that effort by about $30 million for a total of nearly $300 million this year -- a relatively small amount, according to analysts, given the enormity of the task.

But the top U.S. diplomat added that because of weak tax collections and consistent evasion, countries like Guatemala often lack the funds to deal with security problems appropriately.