Summit of the Americas or of the controversies? A devalued continental journey marked by absences is ‘ongoing’ in the US

This Monday began in Los Angeles, California (US), the agenda of events of the IX Summit of the Americas, marked by controversies, the great absences of leaders of the region, mainly in protest of Washington’s refusal to invite Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

This is the second time the US has hosted the event since the inaugural meeting and first summit, which was held in Miami in 1994.

What is the theme of the summit?

The political analyst José María Ramos considers that it is a very important summit, because in it «the present and future agenda of the US with the region is being defined, in a context in which China and Russia are playing a very important role in the region».

‘Building a sustainable, resilient and equitable future’ was the motto proposed by the US, as host, for this meeting.

In this premise, five thematic axes are contemplated, which are: health and resilience in the Americas, our green future, accelerating the transition to clean energy, digital transformation and democratic governance, reports RT.

Juan González, special assistant to the president and principal director of the National Security Council for the Western Hemisphere, said that those attending the summit will seek, with these thematic axes, commitments for the region.

In terms of health, for example, they will focus on the covid-19 pandemic, which is still affecting the continent.

But, to those five thematic axes, he added economy and migration. On the first point, he said that the US will promote a «more ambitious» economic agenda with trade agreements with the entire hemisphere to address inequality and economic upheavals; while on migration, work will be done to ensure that it is orderly and safe.

Ramos believes that migration is a central issue, due to the «increase in migratory flows to Mexico and later to the US».

Which leaders will go to the Summit and who will not?

So far, the leaders of Argentina, Alberto Fernández; from Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro; from Chile, Gabriel Boric; from Colombia, Ivan Duque; from Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves; and from Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, have confirmed their participation.

The following have also confirmed their participation Laurentino Cortizo, from Panama; Mario Abdo Benitez, from Paraguay; Pedro Castillo, from Peru; Luis Abinader, from the Dominican Republic.

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, will be another of those present at this continental meeting.

For their part, among the absences are the dignitaries of the excluded countries: Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. In protest against this exclusion and in solidarity with those who were not invited, the leaders of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador; from Bolivia, Luis Arce; and from Honduras, Xiomara Castro, reported their absence from the event.

«I am not going to the summit because not all the countries of America are invited; and I believe in the need to change the policy that has been imposed for centuries, of exclusion, wanting to dominate for no reason», said López Obrador in this regard.

They were joined by the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, who confirmed that he will not travel and, in addition, pointed out that countries of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) will not attend or will send low-profile representatives to the event.

From Guatemala, in mid-May, President Alejandro Giammattei said that he had notified the US that he would not attend; however, last week, Guatemalan Foreign Minister Mario Búcaro assured that the president’s trip to the regional meeting had not yet been confirmed and that they were «evaluating all options».

The president of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, announced this Monday that he will not attend the Summit of the Americas due to the positive result of his covid-19 analysis, which had to be carried out prior to the trip to the US.

There are also doubts about the participation of the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, who has had a tense relationship with the US, and whose attendance has not been reported.

What does the leaders’ agenda include?

Although the activities of the summit started on Monday, the leaders will only meet on Wednesday at the formal opening ceremony of the event, which will take place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

On Thursday and Friday, at least three plenary sessions will be held, in which the presidents and heads of State will offer their speeches and the agreements and conclusions of the event will be announced.

On Thursday, the Leaders’ Dinner of the IX Summit of the Americas will also be held, hosted by US President Joe Biden; while on Friday there will be a working lunch and the official photo will be taken.

What other activities are there at the Summit?

In addition to the meeting of leaders, the US Department of State organized three official forums for interested sectors at the summit: the IX Civil Society Forum, the VI Youth Forum of the Americas and the IV CEO Summit. of the Americas.

The Civil Society Forum includes meetings of thematic working groups, thematic conversations and a fair of initiatives.

What have the excluded countries said?

The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Monday in which it reproaches the US for refusing to heed «the just demands of numerous governments» to change that discriminatory and unacceptable position, of excluding several countries from the summit. .

«There is not a single reason that justifies the undemocratic and arbitrary exclusion of any country in the hemisphere from that continental event», it says in the statement.

According to the Cuban authorities, the United States opted for exclusion due to “arrogance”, due to “the fear that uncomfortable truths will be heard”, due to “the effort to prevent the meeting from deliberating on the most urgent and complex issues of the hemisphere» and by «the very contradictions of its weak and polarized political system».

Previously, the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, stated that «it is already clear» that this will not be a summit «and less of the Americas».

«It is a meeting where important, respectable representatives of our America will attend, but simply the US government itself took it upon itself to stab the possibility of success of the Summit of the Americas» by excluding several countries, he pointed out.