Luis Lacalle Pou has Covid-19 and leaves the Summit of the Americas

Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou dropped out of attendance at the last minute Summit of the Americas which will take place this week in Los Angeles, United States. As reported by himself through his social media, he gave Positive at Covid-19 and must remain in Uruguay.

Lacalle Pou thus becomes another of the leaders who will not take part in the meeting led by Joe Biden. In the case of him it is about health problems, instead his peers Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador canceled their participation due to differences with the US government.

“Due to tomorrow’s trip to the Summit of the Americas in the United States, I did a PCR today. As a result, I am COVID 19 positive. Because of this situation I have to cancel all activities in the next few days ”, the Uruguayan president announced.

Alberto Fernández has sometimes questioned his presence, but ultimately, after a phone interview last week with Biden, he confirmed that he will be there. He will travel this Tuesday night with his entourage of himself which will include Sergio Massa.

The absence of so many leaders, according to some experts, could become a reason embarrassment for US President Joe Bidenwho has had a hard time imposing his country’s leadership in a region with a high level of distrust of the United States and where China’s influence has grown.

Earlier this Monday, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed that he will not attend the Summit to protest against the exclusion by the United States of the rulers of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. However, he said he will visit the White House in July.

“Informing the people of Mexico that I am not going to attend is going on my behalf, on behalf of the government, (Foreign Minister) Marcelo Ebrard,” he said in his morning lecture after days when the matter stood with bated breath. . “And I’m not going to the Summit because not all countries of America are invited”indicated in reference to the absence of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, which the United States did not include in the nomination due to their democratic shortcomings.

“There can be no summit if all countries do not participate – added López Obrador – Or there can be, but it is to continue with the old policy of interventionism, of the lack of respect for their peoples … I do not accept hegemonies. “

For its part, the president of GuatemalaAlejandro Giammattei confirmed it again this Monday will not attend the Summit of the Americas. The Guatemalan’s absence is due to complications in his agenda, presidential spokesman Kevin López explained to reporters on Monday.

The the relationship between the United States and Guatemala has deteriorated May 16 with the re-election for another four years of the Attorney General and Chief of the Public Prosecutor, Consuelo Porras, by decision of Giammattei.

Porras was sanctioned in September 2021 by the United States on charges of “obstructing” justice in high-impact cases in Guatemala, and the State Department cataloged Porras’s re-election as “a step backwards for democracy” in the country.

On Friday it was learned that Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina will represent the country at the Summit of the Americas, amid the regional dispute over the exclusion of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Like this even the left-wing president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, will not be present in Los Angeles.

Honduras’ position “is for all countries to participate so that it truly becomes a Summit of the Americas,” Reina said over lunch with reporters last week.