After the United States (US) confirmed that no representatives from Cuba, Venezuela, or Nicaragua will attend the 9th Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles this week, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador honoured his threat to boycott the Summit if any country from the region is excluded.
At a press conference on Monday, López Obrador denounced the US for its “desire to dominate without any reason” as well as its “disrespect” for countries’ sovereignty and independence.
Biden excludes Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua from his Summit of the Americas. Many other Latin American countries boycotting as a result. Will it be a solo top? See pic. pic.twitter.com/aWzypXrhTa
— Fons Stoelinga (@FonsStoelinga) June 7, 2022
While stating that he would meet the US President Joe Biden next month, President Obrador reaffirmed that “there can’t be a Summit of the Americas if not all countries of the American continent are taking part.”
The Mexican leader revealed that he will send Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard in his stead.
Commenting on the Mexican president’s absence, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price acknowledged that Mexico is an “important hemispheric player” and said Washington “understands his position on this” and will continue to engage with the country on issues such as migration, COVID-19, and post-pandemic economic recovery.
Responding to a question on López Obrador’s remarks that it can’t be a true Americas summit if some countries are excluded, Price said that while the US “greatly values the diversity of opinions” it has received from neighbouring countries, it has “wide discretion in terms of invitations.” He reiterated that Washington both “recognises and respects” its allies’ calls for “inclusive dialogue” but underscored that one of the “key elements” of the summit is ‘democratic governance,’ in which regard he said the trio of excluded countries “are not exemplars, to put it mildly.”
Sabemos que la voz de América Latina y el Caribe, como en el pasado, resonará en esos días en Los Ángeles, con la admirable y vertical ausencia de líderes fundamentales que tienen enorme autoridad política, moral y reconocimiento de sus pueblos y del mundo. #CubaViveyVence https://t.co/TJSaMOKEIO
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) June 6, 2022
Price pointed to the lack of freedom of expression and the suppression of “peaceful opposition” in Cuba, referencing the historic protests last July. He noted that the mass detentions and house arrests that followed the protests form part of a wider trend of a ‘deprivation’ of liberty.
Similarly, he spoke of the “increasingly constricted space for civil society” in Nicaragua and emphasised that the US continues to view opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the legitimate leader of Venezuela and revealed that representatives from his interim or shadow government will attend.
In this respect, he said that the “challenges” posed by the absence of democracy in the three countries were “insurmountable” and therefore pushed the US to invite civil society representatives from the three countries instead.
Across the world and my career, I’ve seen firsthand the crucial role civil society plays in building more democratic and secure countries. Today at the Civil Society Forum at the #SummitAmericas I reaffirmed our commitment to support their work. -BAN pic.twitter.com/gfW9SyUjsE
— Brian A. Nichols (@WHAAsstSecty) June 6, 2022
Echoing these words, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphasised that “we do not believe that dictators should be invited.” She added that despite the absence of the three countries, as well as Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador, which have boycotted the summit, there will still be 68 delegations and 23 heads of state attending.
The US’ decision of sidelining the three countries from the Americas Summit has also drawn flak from Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who claimed that it was “an error, a mistake” and that he will “say that during the summit.” The left-wing leader is an outspoken critic of all three countries but has also said that shunning dialogue is the wrong approach. For instance, he has previously described the US’ 60-year-long blockade on Cuba as “reprehensible.”
Meanwhile, Cuba has slammed the Summit as “a forum of imperialist domination and exclusion” and said that the US has “abused” its privileges as the host nation to strengthen its “traditional contempt for our countries.”
We condemn the actions of the Cuban government to prevent seven Cuban civil society participants from attending the #SummitAmericas.
— Brian A. Nichols (@WHAAsstSecty) June 6, 2022
We will not invite Cuba’s non-democratic actors but we believe it vital for non-governmental representatives from Cuba to participate. -BAN
It praised “the clear and early attitude of the CARICOM (Caribbean Community) member countries against exclusions” and suggested that the US had “underestimated the support for Cuba in the region.”
Likewise, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appreciated the “courage and clarity” of his Mexican counterpart and called the exclusions an “act of discrimination” that he said would ensure that the “summit would fail.”
Expresamos nuestra admiración por la claridad y la valentía del Presidente de México @lopezobrador_. Enviamos el apoyo a su solicitud de un nuevo organismo donde participen todos los países de América, sin exclusión, ni discriminación. pic.twitter.com/ZgzJr1zsiJ
— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) June 7, 2022
He added that Argentine President Alberto Fernández “will be the voice of Venezuela at the Summit of the Americas,” in his capacity as the pro tempore President of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). Despite “whatever the host says,” Maduro insisted that he has his “tricks” to ascertain that “the voice of Venezuela, the voice of Cuba, and the voice of Nicaragua will arrive in Los Angeles.”
In the lead up to the event, it appeared that the US was slowly reconsidering its decision to bar the three countries from attending and had even suggested that it could invite lower-level representatives. Moreover, it offered sanctions relief to both Cuba and Venezuela in a sign of rapprochement.
With over 1M illegal border crossings this year, it’s imperative Biden doesn’t waste this opportunity at #SummitAmericas. We need less empty promises, more action & a commitment that any int'l agreements should be preceded by stronger enforcement of U.S. laws. #BorderCrisis
— Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member (@SenateForeign) June 7, 2022
It is thought that the summit will focus on topics such as public health, climate change, post-pandemic economic recovery, democracy, and migration. Biden reportedly plans to announce an “Economic Framework Proposal” and address the issue of undocumented regional migration, both of which are domestic priorities for the US. However, the absence of several key partners in restricting the record number of asylum seekers at the southern border could complicate these efforts.
In fact, on Monday, a migrant caravan of as many as 6,000 people began moving towards the US border on Monday.