U.S. President Biden excludes Bolivia from pro-democracy summit

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Bolivia was excluded from a summit organized by United States President Joe Biden. The meeting aimed at strengthening democracy will be held in the North American country on December 9 and 10 and is expected to convene 10 world leaders.

Bolivia is on the list of the 8 countries that Biden has left out.

In addition to Bolivia, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Haiti are also excluded. The White House announced that the guest list includes the presidents of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador; of Argentina, Alberto Fernández; and Peru’s Pedro Castillo. All 3 are allies of Luis Arce, who was removed from the list.

“Biden cannot withdraw his invitation to Mexico and Argentina, but he should not sit them at the same table as Switzerland and Uruguay. He should sit them at the back, or place them at the end of the agenda, to make it clear that, although they are democratically elected governments, they are not friends of democracy,” wrote Andrés Oppenheimer in several Latin media.

The visit of the U.S. Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman to Peru reaffirmed the high level of relations between both countries, highlighted the Foreign Ministry. Lima has become an ally of Bolivia with Pedro Castillo as Peru’s president.

The United States left out countries that endorsed the disputed elections in Nicaragua. Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bolivia applauded the electoral process, in which opponents were unable to participate because they are detained under Daniel Ortega’s instructions.

Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) deputy Héctor Arce downplayed the importance of Bolivia’s exclusion by the United States. “This government that intervenes in countries, that violates sovereignty, does it intend to give us lessons on democracy?” he challenged.