LOS ANGELES – In the run-up to the US Summit, the Biden administration sought to avoid embarrassment by a boycott by key leaders – only to find that its proposals were rejected. U.S. officials have spent weeks negotiating with the Mexican government, trying to find a way to entice President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to a meeting in Los Angeles. Vice President Kamala Harris called the Honduran leader to persuade her to come. Top aides were sent to try to persuade the leaders of El Salvador and Guatemala. Nothing worked. The heads of state of all four countries refused to attend the meeting, a blow to Mr Biden as he sought to promote unity and common purpose throughout the Western Hemisphere. Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele would not even call Foreign Minister Antony J. Blinken, according to four people who knew the show and were not authorized to speak in public. The absences have called into question the relevance of a summit aimed at showcasing co-operation between neighbors, but instead strong rifts have spread to an area increasingly reluctant to defy US leadership. “It shows the deep divisions on the continent,” said Martha Barsena, Mexico’s former ambassador to the United States. Leaders who decided not to participate, Bárcena said, “are causing US influence because US influence has diminished on the continent.” The Biden government said much could be achieved without presidents at the table, as incumbent foreign ministers are just as capable of signing agreements. “The United States remains the most powerful force in directing hemispheric action to address the key challenges facing the American people,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. However, while the non-appearances of the region are boycotting for different reasons, everyone seems to express their dissatisfaction with the way the administration exercises power. Mr López Obrador telegraphed weeks ago that he would not attend unless the government invited Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Honduran leftist President Xiomara Castro has joined his band, saying they too will bow down if the meeting covers these countries. Leaving them out of the summit, López Obrador said, “it means continuing with the old policy, the intervention, the lack of respect for their nations and peoples.” The leaders of Guatemala and El Salvador seemed to be more concerned about their own relationship with the United States than about the guest list. In taking office, the Biden government launched an offensive against corruption in both countries, imposing sanctions on high-ranking officials and citing perceived efforts to weaken democratic institutions by the two Central American governments. Guatemalan President Alejandro Giamatti has said he will not attend the summit a day after Mr Blinken said the election of his government’s attorney general was involved in “significant corruption”. “I have sent a message that I will not go,” said Giammattei, adding: “As long as I am president, this country will be respected and its sovereignty will be respected.” Mr Bukele did not elaborate, but people familiar with Salvador’s presidency say he did not see the point of shaking hands and taking pictures when the dialogue between the two countries was cut short.
