Called the People's Summit, it will aim to highlight the issues that were not included in the Summit of the Americas.
The announcement was made at the Los Angeles Trade Tech College headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, where the meeting will take place from June 8 to 10, just a few blocks from the Los Angeles Convention Center, which will bring together the leaders of the Ninth Summit of the Americas.
Angelica Salas, director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), told the press that the People's Summit will address "all those important issues that the presidential summit left out," such as the rights of immigrants, women, and workers.
«"Immigration will not be officially discussed at the Summit of the Americas, and that is a big mistake. That is why we are holding this Summit, because we want to ensure that the voices of immigrants are heard," Salas said.
The Summit of the Americas is a meeting held periodically by the political leaders of the countries of North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean with the aim of discussing and defining actions to address problems and challenges shared by the region and to advance integration.
The U.S. State Department notes that the summit and its forums will be based on a shared respect for democracy, fundamental freedoms, the dignity of labor, and free enterprise. It also explains that each meeting "focuses on a critical area of cooperation of interest to all countries in the Americas.".
This year's theme is "Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future," and according to President Joe Biden's administration, the forums for this ninth edition will foster "greater dialogue among heads of government, people, and businesses of the Americas to address hemispheric challenges and opportunities, such as social inclusion, economic recovery, climate change, democracy, and digital transformation."“
On the other hand, other issues that the alternative summit intends to address include concerns about immigration rules, including the controversial Title 42, which allows for the immediate expulsion of immigrants for health reasons, and the need to pass immigration reform in the United States, among other concerns.
On Tuesday, a senior Biden administration official explained in a call with reporters that they are working on a statement endorsed by summit attendees in which they will share their vision on how to address "the migration challenge together," however, no further information on this topic has been released so far.
News report based on information from: EFE and CNN