Photo by Lara Jameson

The Summit of the Americas: No Short-term Solutions but Potential for the Future

By Luis Fleischman 

A lot has been said and written about the Summit of the Americas currently taking place in Los Angeles. The refusal of Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez, also known by AMLO, to participate over the exclusion of three dictatorships— Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua— gave the impression that the summit was going to be a total failure. I disagree with those who had such a perception. 

President Joe Biden’s decision to exclude these three countries sends a clear message in support of regional democracy, which in the president’s own words “is a key ingredient in the future of the Americas.

Indeed, a true democracy, not a populist “democracy” is what is supposed to build the institutions that strengthen civil society, the rule of law, the separation of powers, and rulers’ accountability. In today’s Latin America there are left-wing dictatorships, populist leaders, anarchical states colonized by corruption and criminal organizations, and weak democracies often led by leaders who themselves do not believe in democracy. 

Among the latter are AMLO himself and Argentine President Alberto Fernandez. Both believe more in the rights of the dictator’s national sovereignty than in the people’s rights and sovereignty. Fernandez, who is attending the summit, is expected to make a plea for the inclusion of the three dictatorships. According to some reports, Fernandez is supposed to request an end to sanctions on Russia. If that were to be the case, Argentina, like Mexico—which also opposes sanctions on Russia— would be part of the anti-democratization axis. 

The United States is not able to stop China’s growing investments in Latin America. Likewise, the United States will not be able to topple the dictatorships in the region unless it takes the unlikely step of military intervention. Furthermore, the failure of the opposition in Venezuela to act in unity against the regime, the military’s betrayal of the people, and the growing influence of Cuba and criminal organizations are leading inevitably to a new mafia state model that will perpetuate itself in power forever, just as has happened in Cuba.

Nicaragua is likely to go in the same direction unless we see massive protests with unity of purpose, as we saw in Ukraine in 2014.

Besides these problems of widespread corruption, poverty and socio-economic disparity are serious challenges that could bring about more populism and demagogues with false promises of change and redemption. It is enough to look at Colombia, whose society a few years ago rejected the agreements with the FARC and a few weeks ago gave 8 million votes to Gustavo Pietro, a former left-wing guerilla group member, and an additional 6 million votes to a populist quack with no clear program to counteract Mr. Pietro.  

None of these problems can be solved at the Summit of the Americas. Even democracy and the rule of law look insignificant in the eyes of the citizens of Latin America in comparison to more urgent material needs. 

The proposals brought by the Biden Administration, however, may be able to mitigate some of these serious challenges without providing a solid solution. Yet, something is better than nothing, and at least the United States is back in a region that has been long neglected.

The Biden Administration is proposing to improve healthcare services and prepare for pandemics in remote and marginalized communities in the region. Likewise, the Administration announced the launching of a new initiative to establish regional cooperation to improve and enhance healthcare systems and improve “coordination, transparency, and accountability.” The program will provide training to half a million public health, scientists, and medical professionals throughout the region within five years.”

The White House also announced an initiative to increase economic cooperation focusing on strengthening supply chains, clean energy, and inclusive trade, as well as a public-private joint initiative to provide training and mentorships to provide business and professional opportunities for young people in Central America. Likewise, there will be American private sector investment in Central America aimed at creating jobs. 

Finally, one US initiative aims to build closer partnerships and cooperation between the US and Latin American cities to work on issues such as economic development, environmental issues, democratic governance, and poverty.

Of course, the United States has a plan to address the crisis of migration.

However, what is important in these initiatives is not what kind of results they will bring in the short run but the fact that the US is back in a region that is part of its neighborhood and has been subject to Russian, Chinese, and Iranian influence, which have contributed to the erosion of democratic values. 

This should be only the beginning. The United States should follow up on these initiatives and build on them. It should also take advantage of the Organization of American States annual Assembly to reinforce them and introduce new initiatives. 

The Western Hemisphere should never again be neglected.

About Luis Fleischman

Luis Fleischman is a professor of Sociology at Palm Beach State College, the co-founder of the think-tank the Palm Beach Center for Democracy and Policy Research. He is also the author of “Latin America in the Post-Chavez Era: The Threat to U.S. Security,” and the author of a forthcoming book, “The Middle East Riddle: The Arab-Israeli Conflict in Light of Political and Social Transformations in the Arab World,” to be published by New Academia.”