The first lady used her remarks, delivered before a speech by Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, to advertise America’s commitment to this part of the world.
“You know, Joe and I hope you know that he cares deeply about you, and so do I. And that’s why I’m here today,” said Biden, who departed Friday. to Panama before continuing on to Costa Rica. “The United States is committed to Ecuador.”
According to her office, the first lady’s trip was intended to highlight the role the United States plays in working with each country and their commitment to democracy. The trip comes as the Biden administration faces a number of challenges on the immigration front, including the heated debate over Title 42, a Trump-era pandemic restriction that allows migrants to be denied entry. turned away at the US-Mexico border because of the public health crisis.
The visit is also the premise of the Summit of the Americas, to be held in June in Los Angeles. The summit is convened every three to four years and brings together the leaders of North, South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. This year will be the first time the United States will host the summit since it began in 1994.
“In June, Joe and I are delighted to invite our leaders and their spouses to Los Angeles, California, for the Summit of the Americas. At this summit, the leaders Ours has a very ambitious agenda, to achieve together things like achieving a sustainable future,” said Biden.
The first lady also warned against the risk of political corruption in the region.
“If a country is vulnerable to … authoritarianism … or poverty, it won’t be long before the same problems befall us all,” Biden said. “But when the nations of South America accept democracy, you become living proof that governments can deliver for the people they represent – inspiring others to follow.”
Those warnings are also interwoven with reminders of events over the past few years, particularly the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Injustice and corruption, poverty and pollution, disease and despair. They are not stopped by any border,” Biden said. “If we have learned anything from the Covid-19 pandemic, from these last few years of illness and grief, it is how a deadly virus can travel around the world. Hunger and violence. How the forces are intertwined How wars in Europe can ravage markets and supermarkets And here, the loss of your Amazon trees can take away a piece of our futures for all of us like how. “
