Biden's Summit of the Americas Is Threatened by Boycotts, Confusion
Biden's Summit of the Americas Is Threatened by Boycotts, Confusion
Latin American governments are wanting to show Washington that this is a summit of equals, said AS/COA's Brian Winter to The New York Times.
Confusion over invitations, an unclear agenda and growing boycott threats.
A gathering of Western Hemisphere leaders next month hosted by the United States and meant to showcase America’s resurgent leadership in the region is at risk of becoming a public relations debacle.
Less than three weeks before the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, there are fears that rather than highlighting the Biden administration’s vision for a part of the world that former President Donald J. Trump largely ignored, the event could expose America’s weakening ability to advance its agenda in the region. […]
The senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the National Security Council, Juan Gonzalez, told Americas Quarterly magazine in March that Cuban officials and the presidents of Venezuela and Nicaragua would not be included. […]
But the boycott threats underscore the challenges facing the Biden administration in advancing its interests in the Americas, where the United States has long played an outsized role. The administration is seeking a meaningful regional deal on undocumented migration ahead of the midterm election, among other issues, according to a person familiar with the planning.
“Latin American governments are wanting to show Washington that it is no longer sitting at the head of the table and that this is a summit of equals, instead of Uncle Sam getting to decide unilaterally who is on the guest list,” said Brian Winter, editor of Americas Quarterly, which focuses on America’s policy in the hemisphere. […]
