The Biden Administration confirmed that formal invitations to attend the Summit of the Americas next June, but pointed out that it is “unlikely” that the governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and that of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will be part of it.
This was stated by the US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian A. Nichols, in a conference call with a small group of journalists to comment on the regional meeting that will take place from June 6 to 10 at the US city of Los Angeles, according to the agency EFE.
“The White House will invite all democratic governments in the region to the summit,” Nichols said, noting that formal invitations had not yet been sent. However, he acknowledged that it is “unlikely” that Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela will be among the guests.
Regarding this last country, Nichols stressed that the US does not consider Maduro “a democratic ruler”, but avoided specifying whether it will invite the opposition Juan Guaidó, whom Washington still recognizes as interim president of the country.
US officials assure that their country has not yet sent invitations to the Summit of the Americas
Nichols limited himself to pointing out that the US government has “great respect” for the interim government of Guaidó, the report states. EFEwhich does not refer to direct allusions to the cases of Cuba and Nicaragua.
The event, which will take place under the slogan “Building a sustainable, resilient and equitable future”, will focus on the growing migratory flows in the region, but will also address other issues such as the climate crisis, the transition to clean energy and economic growth equitable and the role of civil society and independent media, according to the White House.
The IX Summit of the Americas will be the second organized by the United States after the original edition in Miami in 1994. The previous one was held in Lima, Peru, in 2018, and it was attended by an official Cuban representation, as well as that of Panama in 2015, when the Island was invited for the first time.
This week, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez considered the possible exclusion of Cuba from the Los Angeles summit a “serious historical setback,” and denounced that the United States government has excluded the Caribbean country from the preparations for the meeting, although “mislead” public opinion by saying that you have not yet decided on invitations.
Rodríguez urged the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, to say whether his government will allow or veto Cuba’s participation, and pointed out that, if the absence is confirmed, it would be a “politically motivated decision with no other basis than false accusations and double raseros».
In addition, he stated that Washington is exerting “extreme” pressure on “numerous governments in the region” that oppose the exclusion of Havana. One of the governments that has spoken publicly in this regard is that of Mexico, whose foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, considered this Tuesday that Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua should be present at the meeting, like the rest of the nations of the hemisphere, review Latin Press.
According to the news release, Ebrard announced that during the meeting the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will advocate the beginning of a new stage with the United States “where it is not just what we have experienced in recent decades, but There is a different position of Washington, more inclusive, more respectful, more concerned about investments in the region.
