The president did not want to dwell on the petty or the disputes over US invitation policy that have been broadcast in the media. Instead, at the opening of the Summit of America in Los Angeles, Joe Biden did what he did a year ago when the Munich Security Conference sought to bring Europeans, who had been alienated after the Trump years, back on board. : he made an impassioned appeal for democracy. “Democracy is a hallmark of our region,” Biden said. “As we come together today, at a time when democracy is under attack across the world, we must unite and renew our belief that democracy is not only the defining feature of American history, but also an integral part of America’s future. ”.
In contrast to repairing relations with Europeans, common values and guarantees, pulling in the same direction anyway, are at best the role of the superstructure in America’s summit. Because the neighbors to the south, where the non-invitation of the authoritarian states of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua caused noticeable irritation in some cases, expect very specific things from the Washington government, which wants to reduce Chinese influence in Latin America, especially in the area. economic.
The People’s Republic has poured a lot of money into expanding infrastructure projects in recent years and has become the most important trading partner for many countries in the region, while the US government, even under Biden, essentially continued the protectionist course of his predecessor Donald Trump.
Biden’s “Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity” program, announced Thursday night, is also expected to take up a correspondingly large amount of space in Los Angeles. As part of the new initiative, existing trade agreements must be expanded and US companies must invest more in Latin America. Biden sees potential for growth above all in cooperation in the area of climate protection. “When I hear weather, I hear jobs,” the president said in Los Angeles. “Quality, well-paid jobs will help accelerate the transition to a green economy of the future.”
No tariff reduction
In many areas, Biden’s new economic initiative, which also aims to help reduce the vulnerability of supply chains and bring important US manufacturing processes closer geographically, is just a collection of ideas. Actual negotiations would not begin until the fall, a US government official who wished to remain anonymous told the Reuters news agency. However, it is already clear that, similar to the much broader Indo-Pacific trade initiative put forward by Biden a few weeks ago, there will be no reduction in tariffs.
Biden doesn’t just want to use the summit, which runs until Friday, to expand economic relations. With a joint statement on migration, the president also wants to score points ahead of important midterm elections in November on an issue that Republicans have repeatedly used to attack the Democratic Party. “The declaration represents a mutual obligation to invest in regional solutions and increase the possibilities for safe and orderly migration in the region,” said Biden, who did not elaborate beforehand. “At the same time, we must act against criminals and traffickers who prey on desperate people. Safe and orderly migration is good for all of our economies, including the United States.”
So far, however, agreements to curb migration have not met with much approval in Mexico and other Central American countries. Because the US wants to inject many millions of dollars into the affected countries to combat the causes of the flight, but at the same time the Washington government also demands a decisive fight against corruption and mismanagement, which it also sees as an engine of migration .( LOL)