American summit: Biden gets earful
It was ‘inexcusable’ not to invite all countries.
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — United States (US) President Joe Biden faced open criticism Thursday at an Americas summit, along with complaints about foreign pressure by Brazil’s far-right leader, as he sought progress on issues from migration to climate change.
Biden is welcoming leaders from across the hemisphere in Los Angeles in a choreographed bid to show that democracy can work, amid rapid inroads by China in a region long seen by Washington as its turf.
But just after Biden made his pitch at the Summit of the Americas, he heard an earful over his decision to exclude the leftist leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela on the grounds that they are autocrats — a decision that already triggered a boycott by Mexico’s president.
Argentina’s center-left president, Alberto Fernandez, who was persuaded to attend by Biden, said that dialogue “is the best way to promote democracy.”
“Being the host country of the summit doesn’t grant the ability to impose a right of admission on member countries of the continent,” Fernandez said.
Biden heard even more direct criticism from one of the hemisphere’s smallest nations Belize, whose representatives told him it was “inexcusable” not to invite all countries and called the half-century US pressure campaign against Cuba a “crime against humanity.”
Biden, who applauded politely and greeted each leader, returned to the podium to insist his agenda was on track.
“Notwithstanding some of the disagreements relating to participation, on the substantive matters, what I heard was almost unity and uniformity,” Biden said.
Biden said the US would raise specifics on how the hemisphere can do better together on improving public health and clean energy.