In April, US Undersecretary of State Brian Nichols ruled out inviting Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to the Summit of the Americas, noting that the meeting would focus on the “democratic” governments of the Western Hemisphere.
“A Summit of the Americas that excludes American countries will not be a full Summit of the Americas and, if the exclusion of sister nations persists, I will not participate in it,” the Bolivian head of state wrote on his Twitter account.
(Thread) Consistent with the principles and values of the Plurinational State of #BoliviaI reaffirm that a Summit of the Americas that excludes American countries will not be a full Summit of the Americas, and if the exclusion of sister nations persists, I will not participate in it. pic.twitter.com/aicTZxYnWm
– Luis Alberto Arce Catacora (Lucho Arce) (@LuchoXBolivia)
May 11, 2022
Beyond the tension over the upcoming summit, Bolivia and the United States have been diplomatically distanced for more than a decade due to an accusation of US interference in the internal affairs of the Andean country.
For the Bolivian government, the continental meeting must take on the challenge of building a sustainable, resilient and equitable future, a challenge that will not materialize if the pluralism of the American countries is ignored.
On the other hand, according to Brazilian sources with knowledge of the matter, the president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing politician who admires former US president Donald Trump, would not travel to the summit in the city of Los Angeles either, although the reasons were not made explicit. .
The United States will host the Ninth Summit of the Americas from June 6-10.