Biden's Latin American summit was a dud. And now the Left wins in Colombia.
My art is on Instagram @klonskyart
Happy Juneteenth federal holiday.
Perhaps Joe Biden has been preoccupied with our involvement in wars in Ukraine, Somalia, Yemen and threats of war with China to notice things have not been going well for the U.S. in Latin America.
Biden’s Latin American summit last month in L.A. was pretty much a dud according to the Washington Post.
Things immediately got off on the wrong foot with the conspicuous no-show of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who declined his invitation after the United States refused to invite the autocratic leaders of Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela.
For similar reasons, the presidents of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador — three nations at the heart of U.S. efforts to tackle migration flows from the region — decided not to attend. “This should be a summit without exclusions,” Eduardo Enrique Reina, Honduran foreign relations secretary, told reporters.
In contrast there was nothing but praise across Latin America at the news this weekend that Colombia had elected Leftist Gustavo Petro as its president.
Years ago Petro was a member of the M-19, a guerrilla group in Colombia.
Francia Márquez, a former housekeeper and activist, is Colombia’s first Black vice president.
From Cuba, President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the victory of the Colombian politician as a "historic popular victory".
Likewise, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro congratulated Petro's "historic victory," indicating that "new times are on the horizon for our brother country".
Note that Colombia, egged on by the United States, has not had good relations with Venezuela for years.
Mexico’s Andrés Manuel López Obrador, stated that Petro's triumph "may be the end of that curse and the dawn for that brotherly and worthy people".
In Chile, the head of state Gabriel Boric congratulated the Colombian president-elect and encouraged Latin America to unite in facing the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
In addition, Xiomara Castro of Honduras congratulated Colombians for opting for "a historic social change".
Other Latin American countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador sent their congratulations. "The triumph obtained by Petro and Marquez fills me with joy", said the Argentinean president, Alberto Fernandez. While Ecuador's Guillermo Lasso offered his willingness to "strengthen friendship and cooperation, prioritizing development and integration" between both peoples.
The Bolivian Luis Arce congratulated the people and president of Colombia on their victory. "Latin American integration is strengthened. We join the celebration of the Colombian people," he said.
The Peruvian president expressed his country's support to his newly elected peer, calling Petro's success ”historic" and "democratic".
On Twitter, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Evo Morales of Bolivia, as well as former Brazilian leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed their support for Petro.
"Latin America in celebration: Gustavo Petro the new president of Colombia. Long live Colombia! Long live the Patria Grande! Until victory always!" wrote Correa.
Lula congratulated Petro."His victory strengthens democracy and progressive forces in Latin America," he said.
For his part, Luis Almagro, secretary of the Organization of American States (OAS), considered the Colombian presidential election as “exemplary”, saying that from that organization they "vowed to work together for democracy, human rights, security, and development".