The absences mark the first time that presidents from Venezuela and the US will not attend the OAS-sponsored summit. Nicolas Maduro's cancellation was a result of Peru's announcement that he was not welcome at the event.
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On Tuesday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro confirmed that he would not attend the upcoming Summit of the Americas, to be held in Lima, Peru, calling the regional meeting "a waste of time." The announcement comes just a day after US President Donald Trump also canceled his attendance, opting to stay in Washington to deal with Syria policy. The absences are notable, as it would have been the first time that the presidents would have been in the same place.
The Summit of the Americas is a gathering of heads of state that takes place every three years and is organized by the Organization of American States (OAS).
Trump's absence will mark the first time that a US president has not attended the event. But not all heads of state in the western hemisphere are regular attendees. Cuba is not a part of the OAS and does not regularly attend. The last summit, which took place in 2015 in Panama City, was the notable exception, as it was the setting when presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro met for the first time.
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Venezuela not welcomed
In February, Peru announced that is was disinviting Maduro from the event, speaking on behalf of the Lima Group, an assembly of states formed to tackle the crisis in Venezuela that also includes Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and Paraguay.
The 12-nation working group has confronted Maduro's regime by demanding that it free political prisoners and criticizing the weakening of democracy in the South American nation.
Maduro had vowed to attend anyway, saying that neither "rain, nor thunder or lightning" would keep him from arriving in Lima "by land, air or sea." But two days before the event, the embattled president stated that since Peru "had removed all the security guarantees for the Venezuelan delegation," he would stay home.
He denounced the lack of security assurance for his attendance as "illegal" and "unfriendly" and said that he would rather spend those days "commemorating" the failed coup of 2002 against the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
To this, Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra reiterated his country's decision to reporters shortly before Maduro's cancellation, saying that the Venezuelan president "can come to Peru whenever he wants and how he wants, but he cannot come to the Summit of the Americas."
Trump will send Mike Pence
Maduro also took a jab at the decision by Donald Trump to not attend the summit, saying that the US president's absence demonstrated his "disdain" for the region.
Trump's attendance was to have been his first official visit to Latin America and it was also to have included a bilateral visit to Colombia. Instead, Vice President Mike Pence will lead the US delegation on the trip.
Peruvian President Vizcarra said he was disappointed by Trump's cancellation but added that Pence's substitution was a sign the US took the regional meeting seriously.
The US vice president will be in the spotlight as he takes part in a summit agenda that includes corruption, trade, transnational crime and the social, economic and political crisis in Venezuela.
Pence's deputy chief of staff said the vice president "looks forward to promoting policy that will lead to an even stronger US economy and working with our close allies in Latin America to collectively hold undemocratic actors in the region accountable for their actions."
The summit takes place at a time of high tensions between the US and its neighbors, in particular Mexico and Venezuela. The regional survey Latinobarometro said Latin Americans last year viewed Trump more unfavorably than they did George W. Bush or Cuba's Fidel Castro in the year of his death.
The US president averaged 2.7 out of 10 when Latin Americans were asked to rank him. By contrast, his predecessor Barack Obama received 7 out of 10 at the same point in his presidency.
Venezuela on the brink
Venezuela is facing collapse amid multiple crises. DW takes a look at what has brought the oil-rich nation to its knees.
In March 2017, violent protests erupted across the country in response to a Supreme Court decision to strip the legislative branch of its powers. Amid an international outcry, President Nicolas Maduro reversed the decision, but it was too late. Thousands continued to take to the streets, calling for new elections. More than 100 people were killed in clashes with security forces.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Barreto
Hunger, a growing problem
The violence added to the ongoing economic and political crisis in Venezuela. Many Venezuelans spend more than 30 hours a week waiting in lines to shop, and are often confronted with empty shelves when they finally enter a store. President Maduro blames the crisis on US price speculation. The opposition, however, accuses the Socialist government of economic mismanagement.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/C. Becerra
Health care in crisis
The crisis has even affected health care in the oil-rich nation. Venezuelans often head to Colombia to collect medical supplies to send home, as seen in this picture. Hospitals across Venezuela have compared conditions to those seen only in war zones. As patient deaths rise, health officials have sounded the alarm on the rise of malaria and dengue fever.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/M.Duenas Castaneda
Power grab
By July 2017, Venezuela's pro-government Constituent Assembly was established. For observers, it had all the hallmarks of a power grab. The new body adopted the authority to pass legislation on a range of issues, effectively taking away the powers of Venezuela's elected congress, which was under the opposition's control. The move drew wide international condemnation.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Miraflores
The West sanctions
In response to the political crisis, the United States and European Union imposed a series of sanctions against ruling officials. The US blacklisted members of the Constituent Assembly and froze all of Maduro's assets that are subject to US jurisdiction. The EU banned arms sales to the country.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AFP/T. Schwarz
Government victorious in regional elections
In October 2017, Venezuela held two votes: regional elections and elections for governors, which were long overdue. The opposition boycotted the vote, but then split, as some candidates and small parties chose to participate. This caused a deep rift within Maduro's opponents. The government went on to sweep the vote, which detractors say was unfair and heavily favored the regime.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Cubillos
Debt default
In November 2017, the oil-rich, cash-poor nation faced its day of reckoning. Credit ratings agencies declared Venezuela and its state-run oil company in "selective default." But Russia offered to restructure the South American country's debt to ensure Caracas pays its other creditors. US and EU sanctions, however, limited the chance of an agreement.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Cubillos
Presidential elections scheduled
The National Assembly announced in January 2018 that it would grant Maduro's call for snap presidential elections. The electoral authority, CNE, held the elections on May 20. The EU, the US and 14 Latin American nations warned that they would not recognize the results. The mainstream MUD opposition alliance boycotted the vote, leaving only one possible outcome.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/F. Parra
Maduro wins ...
Maduro was re-elected to a second six-year term with about 68 percent of the vote. Turnout was only 46 percent, according to electoral authorities. However, the MUD opposition alliance put turnout at less than 30 percent. The Organization of American States (OAS) called the elections neither free nor fair.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Cubillos
... Guaido assumes power
But weeks into the new year, the situation took a drastic turn. On January 23, 2019, parliament president Juan Guaido declared himself interim president of Venezuela — a move that was quickly recognized by US President Donald Trump. Maduro called it a US-backed "coup." Days later, the US sanctioned Venezuela's state oil firm, while Guaido staked his claim on the country's foreign assets.
