Stakes high for upcoming Summit of the Americas

Next week, the Biden administration convenes countries across the western hemisphere for the Summit of the Americas, a high profile event in Los Angeles that could flop before it even begins. After the US banned Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua from the summit for human rights violations, a group of countries – led by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico – threatened to boycott the event. The Biden administration hopes the summit will showcase progress on vital issues like immigration, trade, and climate. Instead, a failed meeting could highlight America’s waning influence in its own region. This all comes as China’s influence grows, and as political sands shift – with multiple countries tacking towards the socialist left. For insight into all this, Mexico’s former foreign minister Jorge Castañeda joins the program.

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