By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 8, 2022 – Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and The Bahamas’ delegation have arrived safely in Los Angeles to participate in the Ninth Summit of the Americas being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center June 8-10.
Clint Watson, Press Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, reported on his Facebook page that the Prime Minister and his delegation were met in Los Angeles by His Excellency Wendall Jones, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States, who is based in Washington, D.C.
Before connecting to his flight to Los Angeles, Prime Minister Davis was met at Atlanta International Airport by Bahamas Consul General to Atlanta Anthony Moss and consulate staff, who made a presentation to him.
The United States is hosting what has been described as the “biggest political gathering in the western hemisphere” for the first time since the inaugural session in 1994.
However, it has been shrouded by controversy because some leaders were not invited.
In an article on Wednesday, United Press International (UPI) reported: “Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who’s said to be a fan of former President Donald Trump, says he’s not going because Biden’s White House did not invite some leaders of the 35-nation Organization of American States.”
The UPI article added: “Leaders from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua were not invited to the summit, which is being hosted this year by the United States. Biden’s administration has previously said that it would only invite countries that are committed to democracy and human rights. Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua have been criticized for their records on those issues.”
Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Brian Nichols, according to NPR, is quoted as saying: “Looking at the current situation in Cuba, in particular with trials of civil society leaders and similar situations in Nicaragua and Venezuela, we felt that the most appropriate decision was to maintain our own commitment to democracy and human rights in our hemisphere.”
Member countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) were also urged to boycott the summit by St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves.
In a May 11 letter reportedly sent to leaders of the 15-member CARICOM, Gonsalves wrote: “I realise it is a difficult decision, but our American friends have left us with no other credible, principled, and practical choice. We may yet persuade them to alter their posture.”
Published reports at the time said that some Caribbean leaders were undecided “as to whether or not they will boycott the June 6-10 summit if Washington goes ahead with its plans not to invite the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua to the event.”
However, according to the official list of countries participating in the Summit, the following CARICOM-member states are included:
- Antigua and Barbuda: The Honorable Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda.
- The Bahamas: The Honorable Philip Davis, Prime Minister of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and Minister of Finance.
- Barbados: The Honorable Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados
- Belize:The Honorable John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize.
- Dominica: The Honorable Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
- Grenada: The Honorable Nickolas Steele, Minister for Health and Social Security of Grenada
- Guyana: His Excellency Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
- Haiti: His Excellency Ariel Henry, Prime Minister of the Republic of Haiti.
- Jamaica: The Most Honorable Andrew
- Saint Kitts and Nevis: Her Excellency Thelma Browne, Ambassador of Saint Kitts and Nevis to the United States of America.
- Saint Lucia: The Honorable Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia.
- Suriname: His Excellency Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname
- Trinidad and Tobago: The Honorable Dr. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
President Joe Biden left Washington, D.C. shortly before noon today to officially open the Summit, “an event that officials hoped would be a shot in the arm for the administration on the international stage, but may instead turn out to be a pain in the neck,” according to the UPI article.
“The summit was intended to include leaders from South America to Canada and produce meaningful actions on various concerns, such as COVID-19, immigration and climate change,” UPI wrote.
After his arrival in Los Angeles, President Biden was “scheduled to meet with delegation heads from other countries and speak at the summit’s inaugural ceremony later at 8:15 p.m. EDT,” UPI wrote.
The White House said in a statement on Tuesday that partners at the summit plan to “push back against the threats to our democracies by fortifying democratic institutions, investing in civil society, strengthening independent media, and following through on a regional digital transformation that is transparent and equitable.”
According to administration officials, $477 million has been dedicated so far to implementing the Inter-American Action Plan on Democratic Governance — which aims to fortify democracy and human rights, fight corruption and support the rule of law in the Western Hemisphere.
Working with Congress, the administration said $75 million will be invested over three years to help empower 300 locally based, community-led civil society organizations.
According to the UPI article, “Another piece of Biden’s ‘democratic renewal agenda’ at the summit will be the launch of the Voices Initiative, which intends to promote digital democracy and counter digital authoritarianism, promote freedom of expression and strengthen independent media.”
A State Department press release noted:
“As the only hemispheric meeting of leaders from the countries of the Americas, the Summit serves as the most important forum to address our region’s shared challenges and opportunities. The Ninth Summit marks the first time the United States has hosted the event since the inaugural meeting in Miami in 1994. It is President Biden’s highest priority event for the region.”
