Updated June 8, 2022 at 11:17 AM ET
The Summit of the Americas — an event bringing together leaders of countries from Chile to Canada this week — was supposed to be a chance for the White House to demonstrate its leadership on big regional issues such as migration, climate change and recovering from the pandemic.
But the agenda has been overshadowed by who won't be at the table. Several leaders, including Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, turned down the chance to meet with President Biden in Los Angeles.
The absences are drawing attention to the waning influence of the United States in the region and raising questions about U.S. commitment to Latin America.
As vice president, Biden visited the region more than 16 times, so there was a lot of optimism when he took office about a more collaborative relationship with the hemisphere. But after more than a year in office as president, Biden has devoted more time to pressing issues in Russia and China.
The summit comes as China has made bigger inroads into the region's economy, pouring more than $138 billion into Latin America and the Caribbean since 2005, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Latin America has been crying out for economic relief following the pandemic and getting little help from the United States, while China sits in wait — with an open checkbook.
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