Biden unveils Latin America plan at fraught summit
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"The President of the United States..."
U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled pledges to help Latin American countries-
-at a Thursday summit where leaders from those nations and Canada gathered in Los Angeles.
Biden is seeking to counter China's growing influence in the region
by proposing more U.S. economic partnerships with neighbors to the south.
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"Together, we have to invest in making sure our trade is sustainable and responsible in creating supply chains that are more resilient, more secure and more sustainable."
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But a break in diplomatic tensions loomed over center stage.
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Several leaders including Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador boycotted the summit ...
... after the U.S. excluded Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua from the meeting.
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Washington said they were not invited over violations of human rights and democratic values.
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The Summit of the Americas was conceived partly as a way to help tackle
record levels of irregular migration on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Biden used his time at the podium to preview an agreement on migration set for Friday.
"...a ground breaking integrated new approach to managing migration and sharing responsibility across the hemisphere..."
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But with Lopez Obrador absent, as well as the leaders of Honduras and Guatemala -
two countries that send the most migrants to the United States -
questions remain surrounding the significance of Friday's expected declaration.
