News - World: US President Joe Biden has come under open criticism by Latin American leaders as he hosts a week-long Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California.

Speaking on the first day of the Summit on Thursday, Biden, who excluded the leftist leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela from the Summit of Americas prompting the leaders of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador along with Haiti, to boycott the event, said his administration was committed to helping Latin America and the Caribbean recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, tackle irregular migration and improve living standards.

However, Biden watched on and even applauded as Latin American leaders lashed out at him for Washington's discriminating foreign policy, excluding some Latin American countries from the Summit.

Just moments after he had delivered his opening remarks, claiming the future of the Western Hemisphere should be one of democracy, Belize's leader, PM John Briceno insisted that it was "incomprehensible" that three countries were not invited.

"The future of the Western Hemisphere is a question for all of the countries of this hemisphere. Irrespective of our size, our GDP, our system of governance -- we all have a shared interest in a sustainable, resilient and equitable future," he said, adding that it is "inexcusable that all countries of the Americas are not here and the power of the summit (is) diminished by their absence."

Briceno said the fact that any Latin American country not being invited to the Americas Summit was "incomprehensible"

Briceno said not inviting Venezuela, in particular, was "unforgivable".

Source: Press TV