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Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador warned this Tuesday that he might not attend the Summit of the Americas, scheduled for next June in California if the United States does not invite all the countries of the region.
“If they are excluded, a representative of the Government of Mexico will go, but I would not; the Foreign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, would represent me”, the President declared during his morning press conference from the National Palace.
A few days ago, the U.S. government stated that it was unlikely it would invite countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, or Nicaragua, a request made by the President of Mexico.
When asked, López Obrador pointed out that his absence from the Summit would be a message of protest.
“Yes, because I don’t want the same policy to continue in the Americas,” he said.
He argued that no one has the right to exclude others, and ruled out effects on the relationship between Mexico and the United States due to this decision.
“No (the relationship will not be affected), because we are independent countries and we have a relationship of respect,” he added.
He insisted that it is not appropriate to think of a Summit of the Americas without the participation of all the countries of the continent.
“If a country does not want to attend, then that is its right, but how can a summit of the Americas take place without all the countries of the Americas? Where are the uninvited from? Are they from another continent, from another galaxy, from an unknown planet?” he said ironically.
It has been reported that Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua will not be invited to the Summit of the Americas because they are considered dictatorial regimes that do not respect Human Rights.
