It argues that the current “profound divergences” in the continent were “unforeseeable” when it assumed the organization of the forum three years ago.
The Government of the Dominican Republic announced on Monday the postponement of the tenth Summit of the Americas, which was to be held this week in Punta Cana, to 2026 due to the current difficulties in dialogue being experienced in the region.
“In 2022, when we assumed the responsibility of holding the (tenth) Summit of the Americas, the profound divergences that currently hinder productive dialogue in the Americas were unforeseeable,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release, also citing “the impact caused by recent weather events,” including Hurricane Melissa, as it passed through the Caribbean.
The Dominican Republic’s diplomatic mission, which has not specified a new date or provided further details about the upcoming summit, defended the decision, stating it was “agreed upon” with the United States, other close partners, and “key” countries, and consulted with the Organization of American States (OAS), among other institutions involved in organizing the event. The mission also assured that “all resources invested to date will be available for next year.”
The Dominican government took the opportunity to emphasize that it “has fully complied with all requirements” acquired three years ago, when the OAS General Assembly approved Punta Cana as the venue for the tenth summit, following Los Angeles, California’s hosting of the ninth summit that same year.
Last September, authorities in the Central American country announced that Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela had not been invited to this summit, in line with the previous one in the United States, to “favor the largest possible turnout and ensure the development of the forum.” A month later, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, announced on his social media that he would be absent from the meeting in Punta Cana, arguing that “dialogue does not begin with exclusions” and citing the United States’ attacks on vessels in the Caribbean.
