As Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris watched Briseno speak from a few meters away, he added that “it is unforgivable that not all American countries are here and the power of the summit is diminishing in their absence.” Briceño called the isolation of some countries that were not invited “incomprehensible” and specifically called on Biden to end its blockade of Cuba, calling it “anti-American” and “an insult to humanity.” He described Venezuela’s absence as “unforgivable”. Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said during a speech later on the program that the rules of future summits must be changed to prevent the exclusion of nations. He also criticized the measures taken against Cuba and Venezuela, such as the embargo. “I’m sorry that all of us who should have been here are not present,” Fernández said. “We would definitely wish for a different America Summit. The silence of those who were absent invites us,” he added. Direct criticism from some of Biden’s fellow heads of state runs counter to government statements that the summit would not be affected by the absence of the leaders of Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Bolivia, and Bolivia. authoritarian nations. . Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is boycotting the summit due to the exclusion of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, all authoritarian nations. Applause from key leaders emerged at the summit, despite government efforts to downplay their importance. Earlier, Biden opened the plenary session by telling leaders and delegates at the summit that the conference had already produced “very strong and constructive diplomacy”. “(In the coming days, we have the opportunity to find ways in which we can do better for all our people by working together – and I emphasize together, together. This is what our people expect of us. And it is our duty to show them the “Democracies have the power to perform when democracies work together,” Biden said. But in a brief closing speech, Biden noted the disapproval in the room from other leaders, but said there was more agreement on “substantial things.” “I think we are starting strong,” Biden said, adding that he believed the countries had many things to agree on, “despite some of the disagreements over participation.” Earlier on Thursday, Biden told officials he saw “no reason” for the region “not to become the most democratic hemisphere in the world” in the next decade. “We have everything,” the president said in a statement at the US CEO Summit. “We have the people, we have the resources and we have more democracies in this hemisphere than in any other hemisphere. There is a lot we can do.” He also urged executives to “accelerate” and “play a greater role” in boosting “inclusive, sustainable and equitable” economic growth in the 21st century, calling on both the private sector and the government to work together to “deliver real improvement for them”. “This growth, he argued, is in their ‘overwhelming financial interest.’ »Ready for the future. Biden has said throughout his presidency that the world is at a historic juncture in whether nations will choose democracy or totalitarianism. On Thursday, he told executives in the hall that “our challenge is to shape the results so that the future reflects the democratic values of our region.” The president gave a generally optimistic tone to all the events of Thursday, despite the difficult start to the Los Angeles summit – which was attended by nearly a dozen Latin American leaders. Through new economic and immigration announcements, Biden aimed to demonstrate a level of coherence in the policies of the two continents, but boycotts by leaders of many nations – including Mexico and three Central American countries – blocked the summit. The four leaders refused to attend because Biden refused to give invitations to the three authoritarian leaders. After his speech to executives, Biden held a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trinto and met with Caribbean leaders along with Vice President Kamala Harris. In a meeting with Caribbean leaders, Biden told CNN that he was not worried about boycotts by other heads of state who decided not to attend the summit. Biden also had a bilateral meeting with Zaire Bolsonaro on Thursday, during which the President of Brazil stressed the need for credible elections in his country. “In Brazil … we want to have fair, clean, transparent, controlled, credible elections, so there will be no doubt after the election,” said Bolsonaro, who sided with Biden. “I am confident that the elections will be held in this democratic spirit. I have risen to the post through democracy and I am very confident that when I leave office, it will also be done through democratic means,” he added. The White House had said the two presidents would discuss “free, fair, transparent democratic elections” in their talks, after Bolsonaro, a far-right populist, made comments that cast doubt on Biden’s election victory in 2020. He also challenged electoral systems of Brazil. Later Thursday, Biden will meet with other heads of state for dinner at Getty Villa. Biden kicked off the summit on Wednesday, calling for co-operation and a renewed focus on democracy – an urgent appeal following the exclusion of authoritarian leaders from the conference. He said at the beginning of the three-day summit that it was now crucial to “show our people the power of democracies to make life better for all”. CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Allie Malloy and Sam Fossum contributed to this report.
