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u.s. news Diabierna 10 Juni 2022

Salvadoran leader rebuffs Blinken effort to bolster summit

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It U.S. officials there wasn't
was the sort of diplomatic much they could do to im-
rebuff a small country like prove relations and the U.S.
El Salvador generally can eventually dropped the dip-
rarely afford to make. lomatic outreach, said a per-
son familiar with the effort.
In the run-up to this week's Bukele has won strong sup-
Summit of Americas in Los port from Salvadorans by
Angeles, senior U.S. offi- taking a tough stance against
cials frantically worked the gangs and going after tradi-
phones seeking to boost at- tional politicians in charge
tendance amid threats of a during decades of corrupt
boycott from Mexico's presi- rule that followed the end
dent and other leftist leaders of the country's bloody civil
over the exclusion of Cuba, war.
Nicaragua and Venezuela. His critics in the U.S. say
Among those efforts, the that in concentrating power
State Department sent a mes- Bukele is undermining al-
sage that Secretary of State ready fragile institutions.
Antony Blinken wanted to Since Biden has taken office
speak with President Nay- the U.S. has sanctioned sev-
ib Bukele last weekend, a eral of his top aides over cor-
rare show of comity from a ruption.
Biden administration that for A similar dynamic has played
months had been blasting the out in neighboring Guate-
Central American leader as a the two people, one of whom summit, which is taking place play along just because there's mala, where Blinken recently
power-hungry populist. showed The Associated Press on U.S. soil for the first time a phone call from the White said Giammattei's choice for
"Participating in the Sum- a copy of the messages. since it was launched in 1994. House. That's the reality that attorney general was engaged
mit is a very good oppor- The concerted effort by Some, like the leaders of the Biden team doesn't really in "significant corruption."
tunity for President Bukele Blinken to reach out to one Mexico, Honduras and Gre- grasp." The Biden administration
to explain his perspective to of the Biden administra- nada, are doing so to protest Shifter pointed out that both has downplayed the leader
the Salvadoran community tion's frequent targets in Lat- the exclusion of fellow left- Bukele and Giammattei were absences, pointing to a sum-
in LA and Joe Biden," Assis- in America underscores the ists from Cuba, Nicaragua not among the more than 100 mer visit to the White House
tant Secretary of State Brian lengths to which U.S. offi- and Venezuela. Others, like leaders invited to attend last by Mexican President An-
Nichols wrote in a message cials went to avoid an embar- Bukele and Guatemala's Ale- year's Summit for Democ- drés Manuel López Obra-
to Bukele's ambassador in rassing flop at the summit. jandro Giammattei, are frus- racy, which included lead- dor as one example of how
Washington. It also demonstrates how trated with Washington's fin- ers of authoritarian bent like countries in the region will
In the end, Bukele didn't take controversial leaders like ger wagging over corruption Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro and continue to work with the
the bait and the call never Bukele, who skirted criticism and human rights abuses. Rodrigo Duterte of the Phil- United States on migration
happened, said two people from the Trump administra- "It's clear the Biden admin- ippines. and other issues.
close to the Salvadoran presi- tion in exchange for whole- istration wasn't sensitive to "These are things these lead- "The substantive work of the
dent, who insisted on being sale support of its crackdown how these leaders were feel- ers don't forget," Shifter said. summit has in no way, shape
given anonymity to discuss on migration, have struggled ing," said Michael Shifter, The State Department de- or form been touched or ad-
sensitive diplomatic dealings. to adjust to a return to a tra- who recently retired as head clined to comment when justed or reduced by the par-
Another request to set up ditional foreign policy under of the Washington-based In- asked Thursday about the ticipation question," Nation-
a call with Blinken, made Biden. ter-American Dialogue. "You outreach to Bukele. al Security Adviser Jake Sulli-
through the U.S. Embassy Bukele is one of 11 Western can be tough on corruption, But Bukele's lack of a re- van told reporters Wednesday
in San Salvador, was simi- Hemisphere leaders who but there's a tradeoff, and you sponse to Blinken's request aboard Air Force One on its
larly rebuffed, according to have stayed away from the shouldn't expect others to for a phone call convinced way to the summit.

U.S. Military: 5 Marines killed in aircraft crash in desert

SAN DIEGO (AP) — All The MV-22 Osprey went Camp Pendleton with Ma- tional details were provided 46 deaths, the Los Angeles
five Marines on board down at 12:25 p.m. Wednes- rine Aircraft Group 39 and in the Marine Corps state- Times reported.
an Osprey aircraft were day during training in a re- was part of the 3rd Marine ment. The Marines were par- Most recently, four Marines
killed when it crashed in mote area in Imperial Coun- Aircraft Wing headquartered ticipating in a routine live-fire were killed when a Ma-
the California desert near ty near the community of at Marine Corps Air Station training over their gunnery rine Corps Osprey crashed
the Arizona border, the Glamis, about 115 miles (185 Miramar in San Diego. range in the Imperial Valley on March 18 near a Nor-
Marine Corps said Thurs- kilometers) east of San Diego "We mourn the loss of our desert, said Marine Maj. Ma- wegian town in the Arctic
day, a day after the acci- and about 50 miles (80 kilo- Marines in this tragic mis- son Englehart, spokesperson Circle while participating in
dent. meters) from Yuma, Arizona. hap," Maj. Gen. Bradford J. for the 3rd Marine Aircraft a NATO exercise. In 2017,
The aircraft was based at Gering, commanding general Wing. three Marines were killed
of the 3rd Marine Aircraft The Osprey, a hybrid air- when their MV-22 Osprey
Wing, said in a statement. plane and helicopter, flew in crashed off Queensland,
"Our hearts go out to their the wars in Iraq and Afghani- Australia. In 2015, one Ma-
families and friends as they stan but has been criticized rine was killed and 21 were
cope with this tragedy." by some as unsafe. It is de- injured when their MV-22
The statement said as a mat- signed to take off like a he- Osprey caught fire during a
ter of policy, the Marine licopter, rotate its propellers "hard landing" in Hawaii.
Corps would be contacting to a horizontal position and The Osprey is a joint project
family members before iden- cruise like an airplane. of Bell Helicopter Textron
tifying those who were killed. Versions of the aircraft are and Boeing.
Efforts to recover equipment flown by the Marine Corps, Its development was marked
were underway and an inves- Navy and Air Force. by deadly crashes, including
tigation into the cause of the Prior to Wednesday's crash, an April 2000 accident in Ari-
crash has started. No addi- Osprey crashes had caused zona that killed 19 Marines.