US President Joe Biden officially opened the Summit of the Americas this Wednesday (8). The event is based in Los Angeles and brings together leaders from countries across the Americas to discuss and seek solutions to shared political issues. In his speech, Biden focused on democracy.
“At this summit, we have the opportunity to come together around some bold ideas, ambitious actions, and demonstrate to our people the incredible power of democracy to deliver concrete benefits and make life better for everyone, everyone,” Biden said.
This is the first time the US has hosted the Summit of the Americas since its initiation in 1994. But the president’s decision not to include Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua has sparked a boycott by several nations.
The president of Mexico, as well as the leaders of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, missed the meeting in protest.
Still, President Biden tried to bring a positive spin to his opening remarks.
“Democracy is not just the defining feature of American stories, but the essential ingredient for the future of the Americas,” he said.
The president was booed by a small number of audience members as he opened the event. It was unclear what they were saying – and Biden continued his rant after a brief pause.
Analysis
President Joe Biden arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday to welcome nearly two dozen leaders from Latin America, hoping to use new economic and migration announcements to demonstrate cohesion in a region of fractured politics and, at times, entrenched skepticism about the United States.
His mission was hampered by the decision of several leaders to boycott the event, including senior officials from Mexico and three Central American countries that the US worked to cultivate relations.
They refused to attend because Biden refused to invite three autocratic leaders: Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
The drama over the guest list dimmed the prospect of major union strides. However, Biden remained intent on showing his commitment to an often-neglected part of the world in American foreign policy.
Biden launched the summit calling for cooperation and a renewed focus on democracy, an urgent call after his exclusion of autocratic leaders from the conference sparked protests and boycotts.
“Right now, we need more cooperation, common purpose and transformative ideas. There has never been a greater need than today,” Biden said as he opened the three-day event.
He said it is now critical to “demonstrate to our people the power of democracies to make life better for all.”
And as China makes inroads into Latin America, Biden said that “we have all the tools we need here in our own hemisphere” to provide security and economic advancement.
Meeting with Bolsonaro
In Los Angeles, Biden is expected to meet for the first time with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who considered a boycott before promising a face-to-face meeting with the American leader.
The far-right populist leader, who was a close ally of President Donald Trump, has been ignored by the White House so far.
Earlier this week, he even echoed Trump in casting doubt over Biden’s 2020 election victory in comments from Sao Paulo. He also questioned the reliability of Brazil’s electoral systems.
Sullivan said he hoped the two presidents would discuss “free, fair and transparent democratic elections” in their talks.
“There are no off-limits topics in any bilateral that the president does, including with President Bolsonaro,” Sullivan said.
*Posted by Anna Gabriela Costa
Source: CNN Brasil
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