The Mexican president will not attend the “Summit of the Americas” if the United States does not invite Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
On Wednesday, Venezuela thanked Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) for his stance regarding the Summit of the Americas to be held in Los Angeles.
“Venezuela salutes and appreciates the courageous stance of President Lopez Obrador who advocates for a diverse and inclusive America. His call for a Summit of the Americas without exclusions resonates in our America,” the Bolivarian Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Faria tweeted.
This message was posted after AMLO asked President Joe Biden’s administration to “initiate a new policy” in the region and invite Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to the event in Los Angeles.
“I have confidence in President Biden. I think he could take this step and do back all that anachronistic and unjust policy of subordination and lack of respect for the independence and sovereignty of the peoples,” the Mexican president said.
For the past few weeks, AMLO has caused controversy for his announcement that he will not attend the Summit of the Americas if the United States does not invite Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. His stance has been supported by the nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Bolivia.
On May 2, the United States ruled out inviting those nations to the Summit to be held from June 8 to 10, because Washington considers they “do not respect” democracy. Criticisms have been unleashed by the U.S. claim to define who does or does not belong to “the Americas.”
“Biden’s plan to pick and choose which countries can attend the Summit has set off regional fireworks. Unlike in the past, when the U.S. had an easier time imposing its will on Latin America, nowadays there is a fierce sense of independence, especially with a resurgence of progressive governments,” commented Medea Benjamin, a Codepink activist.