After a furore over the exclusion of Summit of the Americas guests, the Biden administration has begun to promote plans to address economic and health issues in Latin America. This will help to curb migration to the U.S.
According to Kamala Harris’ office, Vice President Kamala Harris will on Tuesday announce $3.2 billion in corporate pledges for the fight against “root causes” migration from Central America.
Visa pledged $270 million to help bring 6.5 millions people into formal banking. Gap, an apparel company, pledged $150 million in order to increase the number of materials from the region.
This week, President Joe Biden will announce an economic partnership for Western hemisphere called Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity. According to officials from the U.S. Administration, it is focused on economic recovery and building upon existing trade agreements.
Biden will also sign Los Angeles Declaration on Migration. A senior administration official stated that it was “an unprecedented and ambitious step by both the United States of America and regional partners to collaborate to address the crisis of migration in a comprehensive way.”
Biden’s administration is facing backlash over its decision to exclude Cuba and Nicaragua from the summit.
Biden faces domestic pressure to maintain a tough line toward these three countries as the November midterm elections near.
Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and well-known for his hard stance on Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nicaragua, stated that the Summit was “an opportunity to democracies, not authoritarian terrorists.”
Menendez stated in a statement that he had spoken to the Administration many times and was pleased to see that the President would keep his promise. He will also maintain the standard that the Summit of the Americas remains a gathering of democracies.
While most heads of state will be there, the Mexican President Andres Manuel Obrador stated Monday that he would not attend because Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba were exempted.
It is not surprising that he made this decision. He and other leftist leaders in the region, who support Cuba’s political system have been warning for weeks that they would boycott the event if not all countries were invited. Lopez Obrador stated that he would meet with Biden in Washington on July 1st to discuss immigration and advocate for greater U.S. investment in Central America.
Saturday’s statement by Honduran President Xiomara Cruz that she will not be attending the summit was made by Eduardo Enrique Reina, Foreign Minister.
Luis Arce, the Bolivian President, has stated that he will not attend if there aren’t all countries represented.
Critics claim that no-shows could make the summit an embarrassment for Biden. Administration officials insist that tensions will ease and that the summit will succeed regardless of who attends. An administration official stated that at least 23 heads are expected from government and state, which is in line with previous gatherings.
Biden’s administration made last-minute efforts in order to convince all presidents to come. On the summit, former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) met with Lopez Obrador. Jill Biden, the first lady, traveled to Ecuador and Costa Rica in May to lay the foundations for the event.
Cuba claimed that the U.S. had “abused its privilege of being the host nation” by withholding invitations
“There is no reason to exclude any country from the continental meeting for anti-democratic or arbitrarily.” Cuba made the statement in a statement.
Officials from the U.S. Administration have stated that it will not include nondemocratic government and pointed to a charter signed by all the countries of the region at the 2001 summit. This charter stipulates that only democratically elected leaders are allowed to attend.
The ninth Summit of the Americas, which is held every three years in different countries, will be held in Los Angeles June 6-10. This is the first U.S.-hosted summit after the 1994 inaugural event in Miami.
This summit provides an opportunity for U.S. and region leaders to meet face to face and discuss common interests, strengthening alliances and shaping U.S. policies.
