Biden stays upbeat amid unity and discord alike – Orange County Register

At the first full day of diplomacy at the Summit of the Americas in downtown Los Angeles, President Joe Biden challenged business leaders to join with Western Hemisphere nations to prepare the global economy for the coming decades through investments in supply chains, clean energy and the “digital future” on Thursday, June 9.

Biden strived to present a unifying vision for the Western Hemisphere, but discord surfaced quickly, a telling illustration of the difficulties of bringing together North and South America around shared goals on migration, the economy and climate.

“There is no reason why the Western Hemisphere can’t be the most forward looking, most democratic, most prosperous, most peaceful, secure region in the world,” Biden said at the start of the summit. “We have unlimited potential.”

Quick on the heels of Biden’s remarks, Belize’s prime minister, John Briceño, publicly objected to countries being excluded from the summit by the United States and to the continued U.S. embargo on Cuba.

“This summit belongs to all of the Americas — it is therefore inexcusable that there are countries of the Americas that are not here, and the power of the summit is diminished by their absence,” Briceño said. “At this most critical juncture, when the future of our hemisphere is at stake, we stand divided. And that is why the Summit of the Americas should have been inclusive. Geography, not politics, defines the Americas.”

The backlash over exclusions, which included a boycott by the Mexican president, came despite a consensus reached at the 2001 summit in Quebec City that future conferences would not include undemocratic governments. Biden, speaking later, worked to smooth over the differences by focusing on the issues at hand rather than on the guest list.

Biden also met Thursday with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was a supporter of former President Donald Trump and was initially hesitant to recognize Biden’s election. Biden spoke cordially at the top of the meeting about his affection for the country, noting he has visited Brazil twice, including once during the 2014 World Cup.

He called Brazil a “wonderful place,” and hailed its work to protect the Amazon.

Bolsonaro spoke more at length, saying the two nations “have a lot in common,” including a love of freedom, democracy and shared values. He said the nation has “a huge interest in getting closer and closer to the U.S.”

Bolsonaro had asked that Biden not confront him over his election attacks or Amazon deforestation, according to three of his Cabinet ministers who requested anonymity to discuss the issue.

Biden refrained from doing so during the brief, public portion of their meeting, although he made a reference to Brazil’s “vibrant, inclusive democracy and strong electoral institutions.”

The U.S. president also said Brazil has made some “real sacrifices” in protecting the Amazon, and “I think the rest of the world should be able to help you preserve as much as you can.”

On the Amazon, he said, “at times we feel threatened in our sovereignty in that region of the country” and that “we stand as an example in the eyes of the world when it comes to the environmental agenda.”

He said he wants Brazil’s election in October to be “clean, reliable and auditable so there is no doubt after the vote,” repeating a frequent falsehood that the current system cannot be audited.

“I am sure that it will be held in this democratic spirit,” Bolsonaro said in Portuguese. “I rose through democracy and I am sure that when I leave the administration it will also be in a democratic way.”

Through it all, Biden remained upbeat: “I think we’re off to a strong start. We heard a lot of important ideas raised,” Biden said. “And notwithstanding some of the disagreements relating to participation, on the substantive matters what I heard was almost uniformity.”

The summit will continue through Friday at the Convention Center.

On Friday, Biden is scheduled to make a speech at the Port of Los Angeles at the Battleship Iowa. He will also be hosting a “leaders retreat” and a luncheon with various summit delegates. Biden and other leaders on Friday are also expected to sign the “Los Angeles Declaration on Migration,” which a White House official described as a pact to pursue a “comprehensive” approach to addressing the crisis.

Biden, who will also attend a pair of Democratic National Committee fundraisers Friday night, is scheduled to leave Los Angeles Saturday, traveling to New Mexico to receive a wildfire briefing.

Speaking at the CEO Summit of the Americas gathering of business leaders at the Intercontinental Hotel on Thursday, Biden said the “economy of the future” will depend on decisions made today.

“The economy of the future will increasingly belong to those who place a premium on resilience and reliability, who invest over the long term and strengthen supply chains now to mitigate the impact of future shocks before they hit,” Biden told the gathering, which is sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and held in conjunction with the Summit of the Americas convention of Western Hemisphere political leaders.

“Each of us — the government and the private sector — have a critical role to play,” Biden said. “That’s why I’m focused on driving economic policies that grow our economies from the bottom up and the middle out. Because quite frankly, when that works, everybody does well.”

Biden told the business leaders that governments attending the Summit of the Americas will be making commitments to achieve “sustainable and equitable growth” across the region. He said those decisions will include improved supply chains, developing a “shared framework for our digital future,” advancing action against climate change, speeding the transition to clean energy, combating food insecurity and managing “safe and orderly migration.”

“My challenge to all of you is, if you step up and play a bigger role in driving inclusive, sustainable and equitable growth in the 21st Century, a lot is going to happen,” he said. “What more can you do to engage in these issues that shape our future?”

He noted specifically, “If you make the investments necessary to build more secure and resilient supply chains, that’s ultimately going to bring down your costs and make you more competitive and boost your bottom line.”

A short time later, Biden made remarks at the opening plenary of the summit at the Convention Center. He also met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, reviewing cooperative efforts between the nations on issues such as economic development, the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration and food insecurity.

The meeting was notably cordial, with Biden telling Trudeau, “We have no better friend in the whole world than Canada. And that’s not hyperbole. That’s real. And you’re a good personal friend as well.”

Biden also stopped by a meeting between Vice President Kamala Harris and leaders of Caribbean nations. The meeting focused on deepening the U.S.-Caribbean partnership, and Harris announced a partnership aimed at addressing the climate crisis.

“Through this partnership, we will support energy infrastructure and climate resilience projects at every stage of development, from beginning to end,” Harris said.

Five formal documents will be released during the summit, “reflecting an ambitious hemispheric consensus on everything from support for civil society to promoting digital connectivity,” the official said.

Also during the summit, Biden will announce more than $300 million in regional assistance to combat food insecurity, along with health initiatives aimed at preparing for future pandemics and a partnership with the Caribbean community to address climate issues.

Mexico is among the nations expected to sign the declaration, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s decision not to attend the summit. He pulled out of the event in response to the Biden administration’s decision declining to invite Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to the conference. Mexico, however, will still be represented at the event.