LOS ANGELES, USA —
The center of the city of Los Angeles, in California, is completely armored. The Convention Center of this city is the venue for the IX Summit of the Americas, with the presence of important dignitaries from all over the American continent.
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, is hosting the event and will be at the Summit from Wednesday to Friday, participating in various activities.
In the last few hours, several workers were finalizing the preparations by placing metal barriers as a protection measure and hundreds of police officers arrived to guard the site’s facilities.
Fidelina Álvarez, who lives in Southern California, told the voice of america that in recent days “security has increased a lot.” The city police, in collaboration with the US Secret Service, have deployed an important security device to leave nothing to chance.
A Summit with absences
Although at first it was expected that more Latin American leaders would arrive here, the truth is that some presidents have declined the invitation after learning that Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela were not going to be at this summit after the White House refused.
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras or Mexico are some of the countries that will not send their heads of government to address the most important issues in the region.
“I say that this Summit is like a taco without sauce, because Andrés Manuel López Obrador needs to be here. If he were here, the streets of the largest city, with the most Mexicans outside of Mexico, would be partying,” said Antonio Peral, a Mexican living on the West Coast.
protests expected
For his part, Carlos Eduardo Espina, a popular activist and ‘influencer’ who advocates for the rights of undocumented immigrants, admitted that he was waiting for the results of this Summit, but regretted that not all the highest political representatives of the continent were present.
“I am a little disappointed to learn that not all the leaders of the region will be there to be able to have these important conversations. It is not the same to speak between president and president, than between chancellor and chancellor”, he commented to the VOA.
special safety device
Since the early hours of Monday, the exteriors of the Convention Center have become a meeting point for activists, protesters and representatives of civil society in general from all the countries of the region.
There have also been some protests, such as those of the Nicaraguan and Salvadoran diaspora demanding the help of the international community or others who, for example, asked for a legal exit for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants who live in the United States.
For this reason, the police have increased security measures in the area, precisely to prevent the protests from turning violent.
“The economy is bad, gasoline and life in general is very expensive and that can generate more violent protests. But we come in peace,” said Oscar Galindo, an activist participating in a rally that advocates for the rights of undocumented immigrants.
Inside the Convention Center, all attendees must take a negative coronavirus test and have received the complete vaccination schedule.
“I have come to pick up my credential and the process has been a bit complicated, but I am glad to see how all the preparations are going,” said Roberto Cabada, a Cuban-Dominican journalist traveling with the Dominican Republic delegation to cover the IX Summit of the Americas.
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