Summit of the Americas: Joe Biden opened the regional event with an investment plan in Latin America

In a theater filled with guests, Latin American music and mariachi, United States President Joe Biden formally opened the Summit of the Americas this Wednesday and launched an economic initiative for the region in the appointment with the leaders of the continent which began with many problems and which could end with a failure of good intentions alone.

“At a time when democracies are under attack around the world, let us unite again,” the president said in his message to the summit. “Our region is long and diverse, we may not agree on everything, as we are democracies we have differences, but we must have respect in dialogueor, “he said.” The question is what can we achieve by working together, as equals, with mutual respect. “

Biden said he was launching his economic alliance as a way to contribute to a more efficient economy from which all sectors can enjoy its benefits “from below” and “from within”.

“The spillover economy is not working,” he exclaimed.. “We have to break that circle,” he insisted amid applause from the leaders present, gathered in the city’s Congress Center and in a nearby theater where Biden delivered his opening message on a stage packed with guests, where the mariachis were. a band of Emilio Estefan and music from all over the continent.

In the front row were the managers and representatives of the region, including Alberto Fernández with his wife Fabiola, who had arrived a few minutes earlier and had greeted Biden and then walked along a red carpet to inside the office.

Biden announced a strategy for the region pompously dubbed “Alliance for Economic Prosperity in the Americas” (APEP) that seeks to revitalize the continent with “bottom-up” and “reverse” reconstruction. “, They remarked enigmatically. administration officials.

Among the salient points are the “revitalization” of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) chaired by the interrogated Mauricio Claver Carone; also have more resilient supply chains; improve the environmental quality of the economy; promoting formal employment and “inclusive and sustainable” trade.

US officials explained that it is a “historic” agreement that will be “essential to facilitate cooperation” in the regionbut beyond words it is rather a compendium of good intentions to begin to develop later, after the Summit.

Biden seeks to revitalize a continental meeting complicated by the absence of a key player like Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who opposed the exclusion from the meeting of the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, considered dictators by the Biden administration.

In addition, many other leaders have refused their presence, such as the Bolivian Luis Arce, the Guatemalan Alejandro Giammattei, the Honduran Xiomara Castro and the Salvadoran Nayib Bukele.

The absence of the leaders of the so-called “Northern Triangle” complicates the signing of commitments on migration issues, which the US fervently seeks because it does not want other migrants to filter into their territory from those countries via Mexico.

Biden tried to focus his message in promoting democratic values ​​and good governancewhich was a central component of the summits, and which now takes on more value in situations such as that of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

Another of Biden’s initiatives at this summit is investment in civil society, which they call “an essential component of democracy”: The White House will invest approximately $ 75 million over three years in 300 community-led organizations to empower local civil society organizations. Additionally, USAID will launch the Inter-agency Voices initiative, dedicating $ 42 million to protect, defend and promote civic space in Central America.

“These programs will focus on promoting digital democracy and fighting digital authoritarianism; promote freedom of expression and strengthen independent media, “the White House said.

The United States has joined Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Uruguay as members of the OAS Group of Friends of Freedom of Expression and Journalism.