Those Not Invited to the Summit of the Americas

The unwritten rule is that each host country will invite whomever it deems appropriate, especially those states that meet the condition of being functioning democracies.

The United States is at a crossroads and choosing the wrong direction. In keeping with its critical view of dictatorial regimes in the region, the Democratic administration of Joe Biden announced that three regional dictatorships — Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua — would not be invited to the summit. This radical decision has resulted in uneasiness among certain governments, such as that of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who communicated that he will not attend, as did the president of Bolivia.

On the other hand, Argentina, Chile and Honduras have expressed their desire to attend, but request that there be no exclusions. The White House is adjusting its strategy and opening the door to the eventual participation of these countries — but not of their presidents.

As the summit approaches, the situation has been worsening. This should be the moment for Biden to reaffirm his regional leadership status, after the disaster left by Donald Trump.

Mexico is the most important country for Washington in Latin America and the Caribbean, due to its commercial exchange, the complex issue of migrants who are constantly arriving and crossing the border, as well as the problem of drug and arms trafficking. The fact that López Obrador is threatening not to attend weighs heavily on the United States.

In an attempt to calm things down, Biden sent former Sen. Chris Dodd, special adviser for the summit, to talk with Mexican authorities and ensure the presence of their president.

It is believed that a recent, softer approach taken toward Cuba and Venezuela in reducing certain existing sanctions is a wink and a nod to their governments to accept their nonattendance at the summit in exchange for gains that — for Havana and Caracas — are of far greater importance than going to Los Angeles.

On the other hand, State Department officials have said that not all invitations have been sent and that they are evaluating the situation in order to arrive at a definitive list.

Among the options mentioned is the possibility of mid-level officials from those countries attending, rather than their heads of state or foreign ministers.