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U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to speak at the upcoming Summit of the Americas and focus on "Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future for our hemisphere." But the planning has been questionable, and a number of leaders of Latin-American and Caribbean island nations have been grumbling that they have not yet received official invitations for the grand event.

The U.S. State Department refused to send invitations to the leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Apparently, Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, strong-armed the White House to block the three countries from joining the summit. He is a Cuban-American politician who is anti-Havana.

The Biden administration bowed to Mendez's demands but a backlash has ensued as the leaders of Argentina, Bolivia, Honduras, and Mexico and few more from the Caribbean islands' states have threatened to boycott the summit unless leaders of all countries in the western hemisphere receive formal invitations.

Nonetheless, the prevailing confusion with the summit than one week away, demonstrates yet another U.S. foreign policy failure under the Biden administration. Los Angeles is home to the largest number of Latin-American immigrant communities in the U.S., as well the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. Despite the allure of the "City of Angels," Biden's big plans are turning into a flop of mammoth proportions.

President Biden had sought to restore Washington's influence over Latin America, but instead the summit may show signs of the U.S. superpower status on the decline. Biden's failure to host a united and "win-win" summit will convey weakness to the world.

Yet the U.S.'s so-called experts on Latin America are struggling to comprehend the disastrous consequences. Rather than Washington rolling out the red carpet for Latin-American leaders, the experts are sounding confrontational and condescending.

"There's no excuse that they didn't have enough time. This is our (U.S.) chance to set a regional agenda," a media report quotes Ryan Berg, senior fellow at the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, as saying.

Berg added, "It's a great opportunity. And I'm afraid we're not going to take it."

The warning that the Biden administration is "not going to take it" sounds threatening rather than warm and welcoming. The sense of entitlement and arrogance on the part of the White House would explain why so many regional leaders in the western hemisphere stand so reluctant to participate in the Summit of the Americas.

In most instances, summits of national leaders are planned well, and well in advance. The organizers finalize all crucial details before announcing the event. But this time, the Biden administration reversed the script and wrongly concluded that regional leaders would be very happy to join in before being told about the upcoming summit.

Meanwhile, the pushback by national leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean islands has also revealed that U.S. foreign policy is crumbling in the region. The days of Washington bullying its southern neighbors have come to an abrupt end, and perhaps that is a good turning point for the empowerment of all nations in the Western Hemisphere.

Additionally, Los Angeles is losing its allure as host city for the Summit of the Americas. There was a time when Los Angeles stood tall as a symbol of the American dream, but the city’s glory days are no more. When taking a closer look at Los Angeles, you discover a metropolis that is plagued by high crime rates, many impoverished neighborhoods, and hordes of homeless people in skid rows.

The Biden administration should take heed on the warning signs of a potentially failed Summit of the Americas. When a great nation enters a stage of decline, its government will struggle mightily to overcome the challenges confronting it. The situation will require more humility from officials and diplomats in Washington.

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