Joe Biden’s officials in charge of relations with Latin America stressed that a region governed by “democratic principles” continues to be one of the priorities for the government American
Juan González and Brian Nichols, the two top officials in the Joe Biden government for Latin American affairs
The White House said that “soon” it will announce the “final list ” of leaders from the continent invited to the Summit of the Americas to be held in Los Angeles next week.
In recent weeks, an unexpected front of tension has opened up due to advance notice from Washington officials that they would not invite the representatives of the authoritarian regimes of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.Presidents such as the Mexican Andrés Manuel López Obrador or the Bolivian Luis Arce announced that, in such a case, they would not attend either. Also the leaders of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, and Chile, Gabriel Boric, threatened to join the boycott. At some point it was leaked that even Jair Bolsonaro could be absent, but in his case due to personal discontent with the US president.
From then on, the Joe Biden government began a series of of diplomatic efforts to obtain the greatest possible assistance. The conversations of the special envoy Christopher Dodd managed to add Bolsonaro, Fernández and Boric to the meeting. Although the presidents of Mexico and Bolivia are still reluctant to say present.
This Wednesday, the person in charge of Latin America in the National Security Council, Juan Gonzalez, and the Undersecretary of State for the region, Brian Nichols, did not want to close any doors and said in a telephone press conference that, although “the host has the power to draw up the guest list”, the US government was “listening to the opinions of other leaders and partners in the region” and taking “final considerations” before announcing the final decision.< /p>
In the last few hours, the region’s governments have circulated the possibility that a second-rank official from the Cuban regime might come to Los Angeles, which could open the door for López Obrador to finally say present. In any case, as Infobae learned, Mexico will be represented at the Summit at least by its foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard.
US officials also explained that while they still recognize Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president, they ruled out inviting him to the Summit because not all countries in the region share this view. “The position of the host is important, but we also want to facilitate a broad regional conversation and make sure we are integrating all points of view,” said Gonzalez.
González stressed that the United States “continues to recognize Juan Guaidó as interim president”, whom he has supported since 2019 to lead a dialogue that will lead Venezuela to “free elections”, but admitted that in the region “there are governments with a different vision”. , whom he has consulted on this matter.
“We have had very respectful conversations with Mexico and the Mexican president, who has asked Cuba to attend the summit”< /b>, said González, who also admitted that Biden “personally wants the presence of the president of Mexico” at the event.
The objective of the United States in the event is to close a regional pact on migration, although other issues such as the economy, the climate crisis, the state of democracies or the covid-19 pandemic will also be addressed.
The vision that Washington will bring to the summit is that irregular migration is not just a border issue between the United States and the United States. nests and Mexico, but “a regional problem that affects almost all the countries” of the Americas, and will seek that all nations assume their “responsibilities,” González said.