Immigration, one of the central themes of the IX Summit of the Americas, was the protagonist of the protests called on Wednesday in the streets of Los Angeles while the continent’s leaders met to open the political forum.
Without clashing with the tone of this summit, most protests were lackluster, with little influx of people and far from the Convention Center by the strong security device deployed before the arrival of the US president, Joe Biden, and his counterparts in the region.
They demand migratory regulation
In addition to the claims to specify an immigration regulation, both for asylum seekers and for those who have been in the United States for decades with temporary permits, slogans were also heard criticizing the future Biden-Bolsonaro Y protested the veto of the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
This amalgamation of mobilizations, distributed through the streets of downtown Los Angeles, integrated what different groups of groups and activists have called the People’s Summit to accommodate the topics that they feel have not received the attention they deserve on the official schedule.
“It is very unfortunate that immigration is not being discussed at the highest level, they have no leadership”Angélica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for the Human Rights of Immigrants, one of the organizations calling the protests, told Efe.
Starting early in the morning, fifty protesters demanded a firm solution for the million people who live in the United States with temporary permits such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or Temporary Protected Status.
Nearly 70% of people who take advantage of these two programs come from Mexico or Central America.
Joint statement expected
The disappointment among the attendees due to the lack of measures was added to the lack of concreteness with which the governments are addressing the migratory flows in the continent. Although it is expected that at the end of the summit a joint statement is adopted in this matter.
“Biden is going to announce a statement on immigration and protection but We do not know what it will contain or which leaders will accept it. So they have failed us and they have wasted the opportunity,” said Salas.
Maira Matías, a woman born in Mexico who arrived at the age of 7 and has been in temporary status for more than 20, summed up the feelings of many of those present.
“It’s not fair to be in limbo”
“I want the president and Congress to take us into account. It’s not fair to be in this limbo because we contribute to the American economy and we want a permanent solution now”, protested this dreameras the undocumented migrants who arrived in the United States with their parents when they were very young are known.
The inaction of the current White House tenant on the immigration issue was a constant in the complaints of protesters such as Vladimir Carrasco, who worked on Biden’s own electoral campaign.
“We fought hard to put him in the White House and we have been disappointed“, he claimed.
“The only difference between the Trump administration and that of Biden is that he promised us to end racist measures such as Title 42 and continues to reinforce it,” added Carrasco about this policy that prohibits crossing the US border, and allows deportation, of those migrants who are considered likely to spread infectious diseases.
Strong criticism against Biden
Biden also drew criticism at other rallies around Los Angeles for his meeting with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro throughout the summit.
Amazon Watch, among other non-profit organizations, coordinated a mobilization in front of City Hall in which they charged against this meeting between presidents due to the “attacks and non-protection” of the Amazon by the Brazilian Executive.
“The Bolsonaro administration is not democratic, if Biden meets with Bolsonaro he will be reinforced and will use it as a political argument,” explained Elcio Filho Manchineri, advisor to the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon.
For his part, the president of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Darío Mejía, spoke to Efe to ask for responsibility and care for the Amazon with real commitments and not with words in the different meetings of American political leaders.
A date where there are no representatives from Cuba, Venezuela or Nicaragua, who did not receive an invitation because the United States considers that there are de facto democracies in those countries. This position was classified as an error by a small group of Cuban immigrants, who blamed Biden for having an “imperialist attitude.”
