Posted in: 09/06/2022 – 09:22Last updated: 09/06/2022 – 09:21
Los Angeles (AFP) – US President Joe Biden stressed during the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles on Wednesday the need to defend democracy and cooperate for more economic prosperity, while the meeting witnessed several diplomatic differences.
During the opening session of the summit, amid songs and messages from children regarding the natural wonders of Latin America, Biden stressed that democracy is “the essential component of the future of the Americas.”
He said, “Our region is large and diverse. We do not always agree on everything,” noting that democratic countries can overcome differences “through mutual respect and dialogue.”
“strategic mistake”
The presidents of a number of Latin American countries are absent from the summit, including the president of Mexico, his Guatemalan counterpart, the president of Bolivia, and the president of Honduras.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador criticized the White House for not inviting Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to the summit, so he decided not to participate in it.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who went to the summit on behalf of the Mexican president, told his counterparts that excluding these three countries was a “strategic mistake”, noting that Mexico would study how to reform regional institutions.
The United States justified its decision that it still had “reservations” regarding “the lack of space for democracy and respect for human rights” in the three countries.
Biden announced Wednesday the launch of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity to encourage broader growth in Latin America.
The Democratic president added, “What is true in the United States is true in every country. A fluid economy is not working.” Biden has repeatedly criticized the theory that increasing the wealth of the rich will automatically enrich all economic actors.
The Summit of the Americas aims to clarify the Biden administration’s desire to revive and renew the relationship with Latin American countries at a time when China is investing heavily in the region.
11 visits by the Chinese president since 2013
The American think-tank, Council on Foreign Relations (Council on Foreign Relations), said its figures indicate that Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited Latin America 11 times since taking office in 2013.
On the other hand, US President Joe Biden has not yet visited Latin America since taking office in January 2021.
But Washington does not intend to respond to China with strict financial announcements.
Presidential National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said, “The United States has never considered its privilege in the world to collect massive amounts of public money.” He indicated that the US goal would be to “release large sums of private funding.”
Biden also touched on the signing of the “Los Angeles Declaration” on immigration scheduled for Friday, a major domestic political issue for the US president.
He spoke of an “integrated approach” aimed at “sharing responsibility” as many immigrants arrived at the southern border of the United States.
He considered that the summit participants will make a “common commitment” to create “opportunities for safe and orderly migration” and “stop human trafficking”.
On Tuesday, US Vice President Kamala Harris announced the allocation of $ 1.9 billion to support jobs in Central America in the hope of reducing immigration.
The summit will also be an opportunity for Biden to hold bilateral talks.
The most anticipated meeting will be Biden’s meeting with his far-right Brazilian counterpart, Jair Bolsonaro, and they will talk regarding the importance of holding free and fair elections in Brazil. Bolsonaro, an ally of former President Donald Trump, has cast doubt, without evidence, regarding Brazil’s electronic voting system.
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© 2022 AFP
