Now that the dust has settled after a bustling Summit of the Americas — one rife with historic symbolism — analysts are watching to see which parts of the optimistic rhetoric will materialize into practice given the meeting did not produce a declaration as expected.
Ministers of 34 out of 35 countries in attendance had worked out a draft declaration on future regional action leading up to the summit, but Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blocked the process as he wanted to include critique of the United States, in light of the recent U.S. sanctions against Venezuelan officials.
“The countries wanted it and foreign ministers worked on it. The document was there but wasn’t approved because of language around non-intervention and sovereignty that Venezuela wanted in the preamble that the other countries wouldn’t sign on to,” Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue told Devex. “So in the end, nothing happened.”
About the author
Claire Luke
Claire is a journalist passionate about all things development, with a particular interest in labor, having worked previously for the Indonesia-based International Labor Organization. She has experience reporting in Cambodia, Nicaragua and Burma, and is happy to be immersed in the action of D.C. Claire is a master's candidate in development economics at the George Washington Elliott School of International Affairs and received her bachelor's degree in political philosophy from the College of the Holy Cross.
