MIAMI — The Biden administration will use the upcoming Summit of the Americas to address some of the most pressing challenges in the region, including migration, threats to democracy and economic recovery from the pandemic, said Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, one of two former members of Congress tapped by the White House to lead the planning efforts as special advisers.
The focus on democratic governance, human rights and countering disinformation in the region comes at a time Russia’s war in Ukraine has instilled a new sense of urgency in the administration’s efforts ahead of the summit.
“As we are experiencing a critical moment in our history with the Russian aggression against Ukraine, one of our main priorities is strengthening our democracy here in the Western Hemisphere,” Mucarsel-Powell, a Florida Democrat, told the Miami Herald. “That has always been one of the pillars of the Summit of the Americas, and we are following those guidelines to ensure that we protect democratic governance.”
The summit is the largest hemispheric gathering of regional leaders and takes place every three years. Besides the discussions among heads of state and governments, the host country usually organizes parallel events with business and civil society leaders. The last summit was hosted by Peru in 2018.
Set to take place June 6-10 in Los Angeles, the ninth Summit of the Americas will focus on “Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future” for the Western Hemisphere, U.S. officials have said. COVID-19 recovery, health security, the climate crisis, and migration will be at the center of the discussions.
Still, the international situation has changed dramatically since administration officials previewed the event’s goals earlier this year. Discussions about transitioning away from fossil fuels will take place in a new environment marked by efforts to increase oil production to counter the effects of sanctions against Russia.
Countering disinformation has also quickly climbed up the agenda as a priority.
“One of the largest threats that we are facing in this hemisphere is the spread of disinformation. And what we have seen is that Russian disinformation has spread very rapidly for quite some time in the Western Hemisphere,” Mucarsel-Powell said. She added that the event organizers are planning to bring together policymakers, entrepreneurs and members of civil society to examine the effects of disinformation and how best to respond.
The former Miami congresswoman said that Latin American partners have been providing input about their priorities for the summit.
“The most important thing that I can tell you I have heard from leaders across the region is that we need to strengthen the ties between the United States and other countries in the region so that we can provide economic opportunities for the people that have been most affected by this pandemic,” she said.
The administration has received some criticism for not including a substantial trade component in the summit’s agenda.
“Trade is the dog that hasn’t yet barked during Summit preparations,” said Eric Farnsworth, a former White House and State Department official who was involved in organizing the first Summit of the Americas, hosted in Miami in 1994.
Trade, he said, helps “build economies to reduce migration, lowers inflation for U.S. consumers, and effectively counters Chinese influence across the region. It’s smart foreign and domestic economic policy. There is still time to develop a meaningful trade agenda for Los Angeles if efforts begin now. The appointment of special Summit envoys offers this hope.”
Some policy analysts have been advocating for more robust U.S. engagement with Latin American and Caribbean nations ahead of the summit. In a recent report, the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue called for increased cooperation to tackle the most pressing challenges the hemisphere faces today and warned of the effects of declining U.S. leadership in the region.
“The Biden administration came in with good intentions, a more respectful tone, and a broader, more constructive agenda, but it has not met high expectations for deeper engagement,” the report said.
“Most notably, it did not step up to play a leadership role on the biggest immediate issue facing the Americas: COVID-19 and its profound social and economic consequences,” the document continues. “Over time, continued inaction in Washington could lead to growing skepticism in Latin America and the Caribbean about a constructive U.S. role in the region.”
Mucarsel-Powell said rebuilding critical health infrastructure and pandemic recovery efforts are a priority as well as providing opportunities for business investments. Supporting a path to free and fair elections in Venezuela will also be part of the discussions during the regional gathering, she said. The issue is becoming more urgent as governments in the region, particularly in Honduras and Argentina, are moving to restore relations with Venezuela strongman Nicolás Maduro. The special adviser reiterated the U.S. support of Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader, as the legitimate authority in the South American country.
But migration will likely dominate the summit’s agenda, as the event will coincide with an expected spike of migrants coming to the U.S. border.
Speaking of State Secretary Antony Blinken’s trip to Panama on Tuesday to co-host a ministerial meeting with regional leaders from 20 nations, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the gathering “represents an important step forward in developing a migration management and protection framework for the Americas” ahead of the summit.
A declaration on “migration protection” is expected to be adopted at the Los Angeles event, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere affairs Brian A. Nichols told reporters last week.
It is unclear if the declaration will go beyond providing guidelines on managing unprecedented levels of people displaced all over the continent.
“We will probably have a document that provides joint action on migration and protection, but that’s in the works,” Mucarsel-Powell said.
A former Democratic representative in Congress for Miami’s 26th district, Mucarsel-Powell was the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Women’s Task Force and led efforts to provide Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans fleeing the Maduro regime. After criticism that the administration moved the summit to Los Angeles, overlooking Miami’s strong connection to the region, her nomination as special adviser appears to be a nod to South Florida’s Hispanic communities.
Mucarsel-Powell is a rising Latina in the party, and. some experts also see her appointment as a balancing act to complement the selection of the other special adviser, former U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, who served as a member and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere for over three decades.
“As an Ecuadorian-born, now citizen of the United States, I am very honored,” she said. “It’s a priority to ensure that I lift up the voices of all our Hispanic communities, regardless of location in the United States.”
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(McClatchy Washington Bureau reporter Michael Wilner contributed to this report.)
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