President Joe Biden opened the 9th Summit of the Americas by promising the leaders present that the United States was committed to helping the region fight crime, corruption, and its economic problems. “These challenges affect us all. All of our nations have a responsibility to intensify and relieve the pressure that people feel today,” he said.
He also stressed that democracy was the “hallmark” of the Western Hemisphere. “Democracy is a hallmark of our region. As we come together again today, at a time when democracy is under attack around the world, let us come together again to renew our conviction that democracy is not just the defining feature of American stories, but the essential ingredient for the future of Americas”.
The Biden administration did not invite Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua to the Summit. “The president’s main position is that we don’t think dictators should be invited,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday.
But several leaders, including Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Honduran President Xiomara Castro, were among the executives who did not attend the Summit. They have criticized the Biden administration for not extending an invitation to all Latin American countries.
Biden acknowledged that the Americas constitute a “large and diverse” region and that “we don’t always agree on everything. “But because we are democracies, we settle our disagreements with mutual respect and dialogue.”
On the other hand, the president announced a new economic association with the countries of the region to invest in trade, in supply chains and help the growth of economies. He and he urged the governments of the hemisphere to invest in workers and the middle class. “This is how we can increase opportunity and decrease persistent inequity.”
Regional leaders will begin formal meetings on Thursday.
