The president of Mexico makes it official. He will not attend the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles to discuss surging migration.
Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirming yesterday that he will skip the summit. It’s perceived as a slap in the face to leaders in the US trying to manage migration north from central America through Mexico to the United States.
Leaders from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are saying they will also stay away from the summit.
Critics say the event is an embarrassment for president Joe Biden, who was trying to reassert US leadership in the region.
The Summit of the Americas was launched by president Bill Clinton in an effort to create free trade agreements from Alaska to Argentina.
In recent days, president Biden and vice president Kamala Harris have worked the phones trying to get south and central American leaders to attend. The presidents of Argentina, Chile and Canada are all planning to attend.