Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced that she will not attend the Summit of the Americas, which will take place in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, this year between December 4 and 5. Why? Because her three favorite dictators — Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela), Miguel Díaz-Canel (Cuba), and Daniel Ortega (Nicaragua) were not invited.
For what it’s worth, she also blames the torrential rains in Mexico and says she may send a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, her predecessor didn’t attend the last summit held in 2022 in Los Angeles for the same reasons. The Joe Biden administration also banned the “leaders” from those three countries back then, showing a rare sign of backbone and alignment with United States policy.
In case you don’t know, the Summit of the Americas is a periodic meeting of Western Hemisphere heads of state and government leaders to “address shared political issues, affirm common values, and commit to concerted actions at the national and regional levels to address present and future challenges facing the region.” It started in 1994, and I’d argue that it’s something that’s more important now than ever as Donald Trump ramps up his war on cartels, crime, and the flow of drugs throughout the region, and especially as China grows its presence in Latin America and the Caribbean and as we appear to be on the brink of freeing Venezuela from Maduro’s grasp.
As I’m writing this, I see that Colombian President Gustavo Petro has also announced he will not attend the summit, but that doesn’t surprise me. He’s spent his recent weeks acting like a clown on the streets of New York and cozying up to Maduro. And hey, socialists have to stick together. But we’ll deal with him later. Back to Mexico.
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Reuters reported on Tuesday, after speaking to Mexican officials, that the U.S. government has revoked the visas of at least 50 politicians and members of the government in Mexico. This is also part of Trump’s crackdown on cartels. While most of the names of those who had their visas revoked weren’t available, it’s said that they belong to the ruling Morena Party — the one Sheinbaum is a part of. It’s the one that may have connections to Sinaloa and other cartels. Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila is one of the prominent names on the list.
The media outlet spoke to some former ambassadors who said that this kind of behavior from the U.S. isn’t unusual, but no administration has ever done it on a scale this grand. Tony Wayne, who served as a U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2011 to 2015, said the Trump administration is doing it to put more pressure on Mexico.
Reuters writers that, “The move has sent quiet shockwaves through Mexico’s political elite, who regularly travel to the U.S. and require a visa to do so. It also marks a significant broadening of U.S. anti-narcotics action, with the Trump administration targeting active politicians usually seen as too diplomatically sensitive.”
I’ll admit that I don’t know as much about Sheinbaum as I do many other Latin American leaders, and you can do with this what you will — I won’t make sweeping accusations today — but I’ve noticed she walks a fine line, making it look like she’s trying to please everyone. Unfortunately, she’s not pleasing the United States. Shielding regimes with narco-ties isn’t a good look when many other countries are stepping up to do just the opposite.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was just in Mexico City last month, met behind closed doors with Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente at the State Department on Wednesday Morning. The results sound a bit bland, but I’m guessing based on recent events, they spoke about more than the State Department posted publicly (emphasis mine):
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente in Washington, D.C. today to discuss the progress of the inaugural U.S.-Mexico Security Implementation Group meeting and to advance security cooperation actions. The United States and Mexico continue to improve cooperation to advance our shared security goals, including dismantling foreign terrorist organizations that threaten both countries by trafficking fentanyl and weapons. The two also discussed enhancing border security, ending illegal immigration, and promoting economic prosperity.
Secretary Rubio emphasized that the United States views its partnership with Mexico as vital to addressing key challenges.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez also posted a warning to Sheinbaum on X today. It’s in Spanish, but he says that the U.S. Congress denounces her “pathetic actions” and accuses her of “providing oxygen to the murderous dictatorship in Cuba.”
He added, “While considering renegotiating the free trade deal with the USA, how is it possible that Sheinbaum is helping the narco-terrorist dictatorships of the region? If Mexico continues collaborating with Venezuela and Cuba, it will be treated the same as the pariahs it is sheltering.”
Related for VIPs: Sign of the Times: Costa Rica Makes Historic Move, Joins U.S. In Narco War
I don’t think that’s bluster. President Trump and Secretary Rubio are serious about pushing a strong, allied, safe, and democratic Western Hemisphere, and as I said earlier this week, many countries are stepping up to join them. To join us. Those who don’t risk isolation and the wrath of an administration that is no longer playing around when it comes to its own backyard.
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