US President Joe Biden on Friday pledges 20 countries in the Americas to work together to relocate to strengthen action towards rising political priorities at the conflict-stricken summit. Did.
The week-long Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles concludes with Biden’s promise of further work and a joint declaration of immigrants who have largely formalized existing arrangements rather than breaking new ground.
The Declaration called for “safety and dignity of all migrants,” but also called for greater cooperation by law enforcement and intelligence agencies to combat the proliferation of undocumented migrants.
Promising a more humane approach than his predecessor Donald Trump, Biden expressed his support for legal migration and made a $ 65 million effort to support documented seasonal work on US farms. Announced.
“But we need to stop the dangerous and illegal ways people are moving,” Biden said as a regional leader on his side.
“Illegal migration is unacceptable and secures borders through innovative and collaborative actions with local partners.”
Efforts were met by praise by top Mexican diplomats, key US partners in migration for a shared border of 3,145 kilometers (1,954 miles), despite the significant boycott of the summit by the Mexican president. ..
Foreign Minister Marcelo Evlad pointed out Biden’s call for economic cooperation and a “regional approach to migration,” noting that he saw “some results of a very positive summit in our view.”
Extreme poverty, increased violence and natural disasters exacerbated by climate change have led to a surge in Central Americans and Haitians seeking entry into the United States.
Trump’s Republicans took up the issue prior to the parliamentary elections, accusing immigrants from developing countries and accusing Biden of not acting effectively.
The State Department has announced that the United States will resettle 20,000 verified refugees from the Americas over the next two years. This is a three-fold increase, but far from the 100,000 Ukrainian refugees that Biden promised to accept primarily with Republican support. ..
The United States has also announced $ 314 million in new funding to help some of the more than 6 million Venezuelans fleeing their free-fall economy.
-Friction against invitations-
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who chaired the summit, responded kindly after the Prime Minister of Barbados described Bob Marley as “there are so many problems in the world.”
“In Bob’s words, there are no women or crying,” said Blinken, known for his love of music. “Don’t shed tears, let’s act. We can sing” Redemption Song “together.”
However, the summit was also conspicuous over Biden’s refusal to invite left-wing leaders, primarily in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, because they were authoritarians.
That line was the reason why Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador refused to attend. The little Belize Prime Minister directly criticized Biden for the invitation, focusing on a $ 40 billion package from the United States to support the Ukrainian war and sharply asking if he would follow up on his lofty promise. I did.
“I know money isn’t a problem,” Prime Minister John Briseno said Thursday.
Biden called for a summit in the face of China’s growing influence in areas that the United States has long regarded as home.
However, the Biden administration avoided high-value announcements and instead focused on a broader declaration and promised to consider the details later.
Early in the summit, the administration promised to help train 500,000 health workers in the Americas, create jobs, and stop some of the motivating factors for migration in Central America19. Announced $ 100 million in private funding.
Biden also met with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at the summit. This was the first encounter with a far-right leader, questioning not only the legitimacy of domestic elections, but also the legitimacy of the US poll, where Byden defeated Trump.
Bolsonaro, one of Trump’s closest international allies, told the summit that his meeting with Biden was “just great.”
