Summit of the Americas: Venezuela crisis high on the agenda

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The eighth Summit of the Americas is underway in Lima, Peru, and is focusing on regional corruption and the crisis in Venezuela. The meeting comes despite the no-show of some of the region's most high-profile leaders. CGTN's Dan Collyns reports.

The leaders' photo was one of the few events which went according to plan. The region's most controversial leaders were absent? but that did little to subdue tensions among the 30-plus assembled heads of state.

Venezuela's deepening plight was high on the agenda.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence had some tough words for the Maduro government.

MIKE PENCE US VICE PRESIDENT "The United States believes now is the time to do more, much more. Every free nation gathered here must take strong action to isolate the Maduro regime. We must all stand with our brothers and sisters suffering in Venezuela."

Pence pledged 16 million dollars in humanitarian aid to help refugees who have fled the crisis in Venezuela.

But Cuba's foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez, who replaced Raul Castro at the summit, said the U.S. didn't have the moral high ground.

Host country Peru barred Venezuela's president from attending:

EVO MORALES BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT"We regret that our brother Nicolas Maduro is not seated with us because of the pressure of the United States."

Nevertheless, most of the leaders condemned the humanitarian and financial situation in Venezuela.

The presidents of Argentina and Colombia said the region should not accept what happens in next months' elections in Venezuela.

JUAN MANUEL SANTOS COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT "We will not recognize the result of elections which are designed to disguise a dictatorship."

U.S. President Donald Trump bowed out of the summit ahead of the airstrikes on Syria? And while most nations voiced tacit condemnation of the alleged chemical weapons use by Syria, Canada supported the military action.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER "Canada stands with our friends in this necessary response, and we condemn in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons in last week's attack in eastern Ghouta."

DAN COLLYNS LIMA "Ironically - at a time when Latin America is engulfed in the biggest graft scandal in its history - the only unanimous point of consensus was the approval of an anti-corruption declaration. Dan Collyns, CGTN, Lima."