Mexico Pres. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Will Boycott Americas Summit if Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Will Not Be Invited
Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday threatened to refuse to go to the Americas Summit next month if the United States will refuse to invite some of the Latin American countries, including Cuba.
The United States has the privilege to choose leaders who will be invited to the said summit as the host country for the event. However, U.S. officials have repeatedly said that the governments of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela will not be invited to the Americas summit due to their human rights records, according to CNN.
"If they exclude, if not all are invited, a representative of the Mexican government is going to go, but I would not," Lopez Obrador said during his daily briefing on Tuesday, per Associated Press.
Mexico's president added that even with differences, the nations should still engage in a dialogue.
Lopez Obrador also highlighted that Mexico has a very good relationship with the Biden administration and that they want everyone invited to the event.
It was not the first time that AMLO sounded his opposition to the decision of not inviting other Latin American nations. On Sunday, Lopez Obrador said during a public event in Cuba that he would stress to President Joe Biden that no country should be left out of the upcoming Summit of the Americas.
Other Nations on the Upcoming Americas Summit
On Tuesday, Leaders of the Caribbean nations also discussed a collective boycott of the summit if other nations are excluded from the event.
In addition, nations like Antigua and Barbuda criticized the plan of the United States to invite Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. It can be recalled that some of the Caribbean nations do not recognize Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president.
Argentina also issued an appeal this month to avoid excluding any government in the Americas summit. In a statement, the country called that summit a great opportunity to build space for encounters in which all the countries of the hemisphere will participate.
It also urged the organizers to avoid exclusions that impede having all the voices of the hemisphere in dialogue and being heard.
Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua on Americas Summit
Americas Summit or Summit of the Americas is traditionally a gathering of countries from North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean. This event is held every four years.
Biden said in March that the goal of this year's summit is to sign a regional declaration of migration and protection. The said event will be held in June in Los Angeles.
U.S. State Department has indicated that Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, will not be welcomed at the event.
Western Hemisphere Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols said in an interview last week that the three nations would not be invited because they do not respect the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
However, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the Biden administration has not yet come up with a complete list of those who will be welcomed at the Americas summit. Psaki added that no invitations for the said event has been issued by the Biden administration.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written By: Joshua Summers
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