The IX Summit of the Americas begins Monday in Los Angeles, California, under the shadow of failure and absences that could deal a setback to U.S. President Joe Biden in his regional policy.
Washington.- The event, scheduled for June 6-10, begins with meetings between representatives of civil society, the private sector, and other meetings before the high-level segment in the last two days, around which uncertainties persist.
For some observers, the slogan of the Summit, "Building a sustainable, resilient and equitable future", remained only a well-intentioned babble.
They also maintain that the event was prepared in an unclear manner by the United States, as evidenced by how they had previously negotiated a so-called Plan of Action on Health and Resilience of the Americas until 2030.
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The text, they say, abounds in neoliberal elements and has many shortcomings concerning the real needs of the people in this part of the world.
The decision of the hosts to hold a meeting with guests of their political sympathies and to exclude some countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua caused reactions of rejection at the continental level.
The Summit of the Americas is kicking off today in LA — the first time the event has been hosted in the U.S. since 1994!
— Rep. Jimmy Gomez (@RepJimmyGomez) June 6, 2022
This year’s focus is on “Building a Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Future” for our hemisphere 🌎.https://t.co/FBEsHLpdHA
The participation of the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who defends the principle that all countries must attend on equal terms, announced Monday morning that he will not attend the summit in Los Angeles.
But Biden "personally wants" López Obrador to accompany him at the opening of the summit, said Juan González, the White House chief's main advisor for Latin America.
US expects representatives of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to attend upcoming Summit of the Americas in LA.
— Michael G Hernandez (@MichaelGHerndez) June 6, 2022
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government was not invited, nor were Nicaragua and Cuba.
Decision led to Mexican president's decision to not attend
Meanwhile, the president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, confirmed that he will not attend the summit as long as the U.S. government maintains its exclusion policy.
Likewise, media reports indicate that Guatemala, Honduras, and the 14-nation Caribbean bloc (Caricom) could reduce Biden's number of guests.
The President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, is expected to be the spokesperson for the position of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
Referring to the exclusions, some experts warned that, for example, it is unjustified and incoherent to pretend to face the challenges in the field of health in the Americas leaving out Cuba, noted for the high level of its public health system.
The Caribbean nation has also been one of the major contributors to international cooperation on health issues, including the fight against the global pandemic of COVID-19.
The VIII Summit of the Americas took place in April 2018 in Lima, the capital of Perú. Donald Trump, then occupant of the Oval Office, did not go, an attitude that at the time raised not a few criticisms. (RHC)