and from the Walter Cronkite
school at Arizona state
university.
Judy: Leaders from across the
western hemisphere are in los
Angeles this week for the summit
of the Americas.
Last night, president Biden
unveiled a new economic plan to
help respond to the region's
most pressing challenges,
migration, climate change, and
the pandemic.
But these issues have been
overshadowed by disagreements
over who should participate.
Here's John yang.
John: In a city where the drama
is usually on the big screen,
and velvet ropes are the norm,
who is not at the summit of the
Americas is as much of the story
as the gathering itself.
Designed to be a show of
hemispheric unity for almost the
last 30 years, there has been
discord over the guest list.
Citing concerns over lack of
democracy, this year the host
United States barred three
nations.
>> One of the key elements of
this summit is democratic
governance and these three
countries are not exemplars, to
put it mildly, of democratic
governance.
John: Not invited, Cuba with its
nearly 65 year history of
communism.
Venezuela, where Nicolas maduro
has tightened his grip on power.
And Nicaragua, where former
marxist Daniel Ortega was
declared winner of his fourth
consecutive election, after
jailing his rivals.
In response, president Andres
Manuel Lopez obrador of Mexico
, the u.s.'s second largest
trading partner, refused to
attend.
>> I believe we need to change
the policy that has been imposed
for centuries.
A policy of exclusion and
dominance, that disregards the
sovereignty of other countries.
John: The presidents of
Guatemala, Honduras and el
Salvador are also skipping the
meeting.
Still, president Biden, is
unbowed, speaking last night of
cooperation, not exclusion.
Pres. Biden: No longer is it a
question of what will we do, or
what the United States will do
for the Americas, the question
is what we can accomplish by
working together.
John: Migration in the region is
at unprecedented levels.
More than 5 million Venezuelans
are displaced across Latin
America.
Migrants from across the world
cross the colombia-panama
border, and a crisis continues
to unfold at the u.s.-mexico
border.
They are fleeing political and
economic instability, and a new
wave of anti-establishment and
authoritarian leaders.
At the summit, Panama's foreign
minister spoke for many.
>> What is happening in
democracy is that there is a lot
less trust in our leaders, the
same thing is happening in all
countries.
John: The Americas have also
been devastated by natural
disasters, and the aftermath of
the pandemic.
Another focus of this year's
summit.
Pres. Biden: Let's use this
summit to tackle obstacle to
growth, come together with new
ideas and new opportunities to
take our region's biggest
challenges on and defeat them.
John: But as the summit goes on,
the diplomatic controversy is at
the forefront, and the future of
us influence in the region,
uncertain.
The summit runs through
tomorrow.
Now two perspectives on this.
John Feeley is the former U.S.
Ambassador to Panama, and is
currently the executive director
of the center for media
integrity of the Americas, a non
profit that promotes public
media in Latin America.
And Arturo sarukhan previously
served as Mexico's ambassador to
the United States.
He is now at the Brookings
institution.
Thank you, and welcome to you
both.
Mr. Feeley, I want to start with
you.
Migration is a big issue.
They want to achieve something
out of this.
Without the leaders of Mexico,
Honduras, Guatemala, and el
Salvador, can something really
meaningful come out of this
meeting?
John F.: Yeah, it is a really
good question.
And it is a shame they are not
here.
I think it is also a shame that
the issue of innovation was not
decided earlier as has been done
in past summits since 2015 when
they were involved.
You can make good arguments on
both sides.
The bottom line, is that this
should have been put to bed a
long time ago.
With regards to the extension, I
think they are the losers in all
of this.
It is interesting to note that
they said they are not coming,
but they did not all send their
foreign ministers.
It is clear they want to be in
the room where it happens when
these issues are being
discussed.
They also think president Biden
and the Biden administration
have put out a pretty practical
pole to cooperate on migration.
A lot of these countries,
especially Mexico, have started
initiatives, and they are now
receiving migrants.
There are 150 nations in Mexico,
and they don't have a lot of
experience in handling that.
I think something can be
achieved, it will not happen at
the summit, but it is a shame
that they are not represented at
their highest levels.
John Y.: The northern triangle
countries, the losers as Mr.
Feeley says, do you agree?
Arturo: I think it is very
simple.
You are either at the table or
on the menu.
I don't want to suggest these
come -- these countries will be
on the menu, but that is the
reason for and send -- foreign
secretaries are there.
You have to recognize a lot of
the legwork has already been
done.
Mexico and the United States
have been engaging with one
another on migration issues for
a good part of this year.
There has been a very profound
conversation as to how they can
to -- can continue to
collaborate.
Mexico's absence, maybe even
Central American nations, it
does obviously -- it is a
political and diplomatic
sandbagging.
It is a simple met -- a
diplomatic ambush of president
Biden, which is extremely
unfortunate, particularly coming
from a country like mine.
The U.S. Is in number one
trading partner.
But there is already enough
muscle tone that has been
building, particularly on
migration and collaboration.
I do not think it will derail
what the white house will unveil
and present, and hopefully,
start building upon in the
coming weeks and months.
John Y.: What triggered all of
this was the known invitations
to Cuba, Venezuela, and
Nicaragua.
This was done in the name of
fostering and promoting
democracy, but there are a
number of countries who are
there who did get invited that
are trending away from
democracy.
Where should the Biden
administration have drawn the
line in this effort to foster
democracy?
I'm sorry, Mr. Feeley, we don't
have your audio.
I will ask that same question --
let's ask the same question a
ofrturo.
Was the United States justified
in denying these countries an
invitation, yet also inviting
countries that are trending away
from democracy?
Arturo: It is hard to draw the
line, because as you say, there
are countries where you are
starting to see some democratic
erosion.
Mexico-brazil, two examples.
It is clear Venezuela, Cuba, and
Nicaragua are in a category of
their own.
That the democratic disruption
and in some cases, erosion is
dramatic.
I think the administration was
right in establishing the basic
criteria.
I think the countries of the
Americas do need to be bound by
at least a common set of
principles regarding the
democracy and democratic
resilience.
Every single country, except
Cuba, signed an inter-america --
as well as in 2001.
I think in this regard, it is
the right call.
Having said this, obviously,
many countries in the Americas
look at the U.S. And look at the
U.S. Engagement with other
authoritarian regimes around the
world, with which the united
States has profound constant,
deep political diplomatic
engagement, and some obviously
see a contradiction.
And some hypocrisy.
Regardless, I think the Biden
the right call.
John Y.: This also led to the
leader of the nation you
represented in Washington,
Mexico, not coming.
Mexico, arguably the -- along
with Canada, the most important
U.S. Partner in the Americas.
What do you think the effect of
not having Mexico at the table
is having on this meeting?
Arturo: This is a non-goal for
Mexico's interest in foreign
policy.
If who Bacchus down was having
the summit, Mexico's relation
with them is minimal.
With $1.5 billion a day of trade
going both directions, this is a
significant slap in the face of
relationships that should be
built on a strategic vision for
how Canada, the United States,
and Mexico deepen our
architectural footprint.
We will have to wait and see.
I think some of the reactions we
are seeing on capitol hill, from
both Democrats and Republicans,
were concerned the Mexican
president's decision to almost
provide cover to these regimes
in Cuba, Nicaragua, and
Venezuela is a bad sign, coming
from one of the United States's
largest trading partners and a
vital nation for the security
and well-being and the
prosperity of the United States.
John Y.: Former Mexican
ambassador to the United States,
we apologize to ambassador John
Feeley, we lost his audio, and
we apologize for the deaf -- for