Owners Of MSME’s In Cuba Should Be Invited To Participate In The June 2022 Summit Of The Americas In Los Angeles. So Should Representatives Of The Government Of Cuba.
/The United States will host the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California in June 2022 with a focus on “Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future” for our hemisphere. [6 June 2022 to 10 June 2022 with the Los Angeles Convention Center the primary venue.]
Diplomatic malpractice for the Biden-Harris Administration (2021- ) not to include the government representatives of those countries which have been identified previously as materially integrated into issues of migration impacting Brasil, Colombia, and the United States. Excluding representatives of those governments with whom there are disagreements with the United States relating to commercial, economic, and political issues is not a demonstration of Washington strength- it is a demonstration of Washington weakness.
The owners of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the Republic of Cuba should be invited to participate in gatherings integrated into the Summit of the Americas. A useful opportunity for the MSMEs to discuss and to seek direct investment and direct financing for their businesses and to advocate for the full implementation of direct correspondent banking to make more efficient, transparent, and cost-effective the movement of funds from the United States to the Republic of Cuba and from the Republic of Cuba to the United States.
Will the Summit of the Americas be another missed opportunity for the Biden-Harris Administration to direct the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury to authorize individuals subject to United States jurisdiction to deliver direct investment to and deliver direct finance for MSME’s in the Republic of Cuba?
There are three issues which impact the participation by the owners of MSMEs at the Summit of the Americas:
First, if representatives of the government of the Republic of Cuba are excluded from the Summit of the Americas, participating representatives MSMEs could be portrayed negatively by the government of the Republic of Cuba as having participated in and be supportive of a United States Government-sponsored event- and there could be repercussions for their businesses. Might their ability to return to the Republic of Cuba be impacted?
Second, if owners of MSMEs apply for visas at the United States Consulate in Havana, Republic of Cuba, what assurance will they have that the National Security Council (NSC) at The White House will not direct the United States Department of State to reverse the visa application process if there is criticism from members of the United States Congress or from officials in the State of Florida? As witnessed after the Biden-Harris Administration sent a delegation to Venezuela, subsequent political criticism will be met with acquiescence rather than commitment.
Third, neither the MSMEs nor their sponsors, if any are involved, will want to commit to and then make required often non-refundable payments for roundtrip airline tickets and hotel reservations knowing that visas may not be issued well in advance of travel or issued at all.
WASHINGTON, April 27, 2022 (Reuters) (excerpts) - Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government are likely to be excluded from the U.S.-hosted Summit of the Americas to be held in June in Los Angeles, a senior State Department official said on Wednesday. "They are unlikely to be there," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols told a small group of reporters, saying the summit of regional leaders would focus on the Western Hemisphere's democracies. Cuba participated in the 2015 summit in Panama and the 2018 gathering in Peru. Maduro was excluded in 2018 due to regional censure of his democratic record. Nichols said at least 27 countries were expected at the June 6-10 summit, held every three or four years since 1994. Regional heads of state and government normally attend, and Nichols signaled that was expected this time, saying while invitations had not yet gone out he had seen a strong desire to participate.
United States Department of State
Washington DC
15 April 2022
Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols and Population, Refugees, and Migration Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Marta Youth On Secretary Blinken’s Upcoming Travel to Panama- Via Teleconference (Excerpts)
QUESTION: Thank you. You have mentioned a couple of times that this meeting in Panama is in preparation for the Summit of the Americas. So I was wondering if the United States has invited Cuba and Venezuela to the Summit of the Americas. Thank you.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY NICHOLS: So the White House will determine which leaders are invited to the Summit of the Americas, and the White House has not yet issued invitations. I will note that the Western Hemisphere is a part of the world that has a broad commitment to democracy, as enshrined in the Inter-American Democratic Charter. And I believe that as we move forward, we will see countries that share that commitment toward democracy as the key participants in the summit.
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