9th Summit of the Americas: Gaston Browne leaves for LA after refusing to attend summit

Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda- Gaston Brown on Tuesday departed for Los Angeles, California, to participate in the 9th Summit of the Americas. The Summit, which started on 6 June, will be concluded on 10 June 2022. The Prime Minister will be joined at the Summit by his wife, the Hon. Maria Browne will participate in forums for First Ladies and Wives. The Western Hemisphere leaders attending the Summit of the Americas will debate constructing a sustainable and resilient future, as well as democracy, technology, and pandemic resilience. Notably, Browne had earlier refused to participate in the Summit because the federal government of the United States declined to invite Cuba and Venezuela. However, his decision to participate comes at the last minute after Senator Christopher Dodd and others talked to Gaston Browne, asking him to partake in the Summit. "The United States would have said certain things to us in confidence. And we acknowledge that on that basis, we could partake while at the same time agitating for further changes - additional concessions for Cuba and Venezuela in particular,". Prime Minister Browne stated that Caribbean leaders would take advantage of the chance to defend the region's position, recalling that the US showed interest in the Caribbean during the COVID outbreak by supplying vaccines and personal protective equipment. He also called on the USA to help the Caribbean in a COVID-19 recovery plan. As per reports, during the visit, PM Browne aims to seek and persuade President Biden to rethink his approach against Cuba and Venezuela in particular. "An American president must be able to stand up and bell the cat without being dictated to by some in Florida. You're telling me that they're going to make the lives of tens of millions of people in Cuba and Venezuela miserable because they want to win that seat," stated the Prime Minister. He also described geopolitics as "backwards-looking" and further stated that he would like to see a more compassionate President Biden and that he must make the most of his tenure by making constructive and meaningful decisions to modify the policies toward Cuba and Venezuela.

9th Summit of the Americas: Gaston Browne leaves for LA after refusing to attend summit

Latest

Related Articles