2018 Summit of the Americas

2018 Summit of the Americas

Updated April 18, 2018
2018 Summit of the Americas
Overview
government in the hemisphere to attend the first Summit of
The eighth Summit of the Americas took place in Lima,
the Americas in Miami in 1994. The summit attendees
Peru, on April 13-14, 2018. The Summits of the Americas
approved a comprehensive plan of action with 23 separate
have been held roughly every three years since 1994 and
initiatives under four major themes: (1) preserving and
serve as opportunities for the Western Hemisphere’s heads
strengthening the community of democracies of the
of government to engage directly with one another and
Americas, (2) promoting prosperity through economic
address issues of mutual concern. Congress expressed
integration and free trade, (3) eradicating poverty and
considerable interest in the 2018 summit, with the Senate
discrimination in the hemisphere, and (4) guaranteeing
Foreign Relations Committee holding a hearing in the lead-
sustainable development and conserving the natural
up to the event and several Members traveling to Lima to
environment for future generations. Perhaps the most
observe the proceedings and meet with the hemisphere’s
important initiative to emerge from the Miami summit was
leaders.
an agreement to work toward the creation of a Free Trade
Area of the Americas (FTAA) that would include the entire
The official theme of the summit was “Democratic
hemisphere, with the exception of Cuba. The FTAA was
Governance against Corruption.” Accordingly, the leaders
never realized, but the process led to numerous bilateral and
of the hemisphere committed to undertaking measures to
regional free trade agreements.
increase transparency and combat corruption in their
countries. They also discussed the ongoing political and
Although other Summits of the Americas also have
economic crises in Venezuela, although Venezuelan
produced some notable results, the hemisphere’s leaders
President Nicolás Maduro was not invited to attend. A
often have struggled to reach consensus on key issues over
group of 16 nations issued a declaration that called on
the past 15 years. Consequently, some analysts have
Venezuela to hold free and fair elections and urged the
criticized the more recent summits for producing superficial
international community to provide humanitarian aid to the
declarations that paper over fundamental disagreements.
Venezuelan people. The 115th Congress has enacted several
Others argue that the summits remain a valuable forum for
measures intended to address these regional challenges and
strengthening hemispheric ties since they help foster
could consider additional efforts to support the summit
interpersonal relationships among the region’s leaders and
agreements.
focus policymakers’ attention on regional challenges.
President Donald Trump was scheduled to attend the Lima
Outcomes of the Lima Summit
summit as part of his first trip to Latin America since taking
office. He canceled the trip on April 10, 2018, however,
Anti-corruption Initiatives
with the White House asserting that the President needed to
As noted above, “Democratic Governance against
remain in Washington to oversee U.S. military operations in
Corruption” was the overarching theme of the Lima
Syria. It was the first time that a U.S. President did not
summit. High-profile corruption scandals have weakened or
participate in a Summit of the Americas. Vice President
brought down several Latin American presidents in recent
Mike Pence attended on behalf of the United States. He
years, including Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski,
delivered a speech outlining U.S. priorities and met with
whose government chose the summit theme. Kuczynski had
several of the hemisphere’s leaders. It is unclear whether
denied a series of corruption allegations but resigned in the
the Vice President’s efforts helped to alleviate concerns
face of impeachment proceedings on March 21, 2018.
about the Trump Administration’s policy agenda, which
Corruption also has contributed to the rejection of
generally has been received poorly in the region.
traditional political parties and an erosion of support for
democratic governance throughout the region.
Background
The Summits of the Americas were established in the early
Summit attendees approved the Lima Commitment, which
1990s during a brief period of consensus in the Western
includes 57 actions to combat corruption in the region.
Hemisphere. After decades of civil war and military rule,
Among other actions, attendees committed to reinforcing
34 of the 35 countries in the region had established elected
democratic governance by promoting high ethics standards,
civilian democracies. Likewise, following the end of the
improving government transparency through the adoption
Cold War, most of the governments in the region had
of new technologies, increasing the transparency of
moved away from state-led development in favor of
campaign and political party financing, promoting stronger
economic liberalization.
cooperation among the region’s justice sector officials, and
strengthening regional mechanisms to monitor
To build on those shared values and develop a common
governments’ anti-corruption efforts. Some analysts are
agenda for the hemisphere’s future, President Bill Clinton
skeptical that governments in the region will enact such
invited all of the democratically elected heads of
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2018 Summit of the Americas
measures, however, given that several of them have been
Canada and Panama are the only other countries in the
implicated in corruption scandals.
hemisphere that have imposed targeted sanctions.
The U.S. government currently uses a variety of tools to
The U.S. government also announced at the summit that it
support anti-corruption efforts throughout the hemisphere.
would provide $16 million of humanitarian assistance for
U.S. foreign assistance supports partner nations’ efforts to
Venezuelans who have fled their country. The funds will
improve government transparency, establish professional
support UNHCR’s regional response to the Venezuela
civil services, and strengthen justice sector institutions. It
crises and the humanitarian efforts of host communities in
also helps strengthen the capacity of civil society
Colombia and Brazil. The U.S. government previously had
organizations to hold their governments accountable and
provided $3 million for UNHCR efforts and $2.5 million
funds specialized anti-corruption bodies, such as the U.N.-
for emergency food and health assistance for Venezuelans
backed International Commission Against Impunity in
in Colombia, bringing total U.S. humanitarian aid for
Guatemala (CICIG) and the Organization of American
Venezuelans to $21 million since FY2017.
States (OAS)-backed Mission to Support the Fight Against
Corruption and Impunity in Honduras. Moreover, the U.S.
Regional Concerns About U.S. Policy
government cooperates with nations in the region to carry
Since taking office, President Trump has aggravated several
out corruption investigations and prosecutions and imposes
long-standing irritants in U.S. relations with the region. His
targeted sanctions against corrupt individuals.
criticism of allies’ counternarcotics efforts, insistence on
constructing a physical wall along the U.S.-Mexican border,
Collective Response to the Situation in Venezuela
and discontinuation of policies that have provided relief
The leaders attending the summit also discussed the
from deportation for nearly 1 million Latin America and
situation in Venezuela. Since 2014, the Maduro government
Caribbean immigrants have been received particularly
has consolidated control over Venezuela’s institutions and
poorly. Several leaders in the hemisphere also have
the country has fallen into a deep economic crisis. Some
expressed concerns about the President’s trade policies,
regional leaders, such as OAS Secretary General Luis
including his withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Almagro, have pushed for a regional response to the crises,
agreement, renegotiation of the North America Free Trade
but many countries have been reluctant to intervene in
Agreement, and imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum
Venezuela’s internal affairs. Regional dynamics have begun
imports. Over the past year, public approval in the Western
to change, however, as countries have grown increasingly
Hemisphere of “the job performance of the leadership of
concerned about mass migration from Venezuela.
the United States” has declined from 49% to 24% and
According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
disapproval has climbed from 27% to 58% (see Figure 1).
(UNHCR), nearly 600,000 Venezuelans have sought
asylum or received an alternative legal status from nations
Figure 1. U.S. Leadership Approval in the Americas
in the Western Hemisphere over the past three years.
UNHCR estimates that 900,000 more may be residing in
the region without authorization.
Although summit attendees were unable to establish
consensus on a hemispheric response to the situation in
Venezuela, 16 nations—including Argentina, Brazil,
Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the United
States—issued a joint declaration. They called on the
Venezuelan government to hold free and fair elections,
expressed their determination to continue promoting
unilateral and multilateral measures to foster the restoration
of democracy, reaffirmed their support for Venezuela’s

National Assembly, urged the international community and
Source: Gallup, Rating World Leaders: 2018, January 18, 2018.
multilateral organizations to provide humanitarian aid for
the Venezuelan people, and called on the Venezuelan
Vice President Pence defended the Administration’s
government to allow aid distribution inside the country.
policies at the summit. He declared that “America first does
not mean America alone” and asserted that the United
Vice President Pence called on the nations of the
States seeks to “forge stronger and more balanced trade
hemisphere to place additional pressure on the Maduro
relationships” and “deepen our security relationships across
government. The Trump Administration has imposed
the region.” He also reiterated that message during bilateral
targeted sanctions on Venezuelan officials for
meetings with the leaders of Canada, Chile, Colombia,
antidemocratic actions, human rights abuses, and
Mexico, and Peru. Although some analysts argue that the
corruption, and it also has imposed broader sanctions on the
Vice President’s efforts may have alleviated concerns about
Venezuelan government’s access to U.S. financial markets.
the Administration’s policies, others contend that his
The Administration reportedly offered technical assistance
assurances regarding U.S. engagement in the region were
to help governments in the region develop the legal
likely overshadowed by the President’s absence.
frameworks necessary to impose similar sanctions, but it
appears that few, if any, have accepted that offer. To date,
Peter J. Meyer, Specialist in Latin American Affairs
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2018 Summit of the Americas

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