Two days before leaders from across the Western hemisphere meet for the Summit of the Americas, Washington’s nearest ally has yet to confirm attendance. Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has hinted that he will not participate in the conference until all countries in the hemisphere are invited. 

Anti-democratic leaders from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela were not included among the Biden administration’s initial invitations to the conference, which according to government officials will have a special focus on migration. 

An aide at the National Security Council, Juan Gonzalez, and an assistant state secretary for the Western Hemisphere, Brian Nichols, on Thursday participated in a telephone briefing with journalists, during which Mr. Gonzalez sought to downplay any difficulties. 

Even though the summit is only three days away, Messrs. Gonzalez and Nichols did not disclose whether Nicaragua, Venezuela, or Cuba will be invited. In March Mr. Gonzalez led a delegation to Caracas, where negotiations led to the removal of some American sanctions from the Maduro regime.

In 2020, an indictment against Mr. Maduro and 14 of his cohorts on narco-trafficking and other charges was handed up in federal court in the southern district of New York. If he were to arrive in the United States,  Mr. Maduro risks being arrested. 

“We still have some final considerations, but we will, I think, inform people publicly soon about the final invitation list,” Mr. Gonzalez said during the press briefing.  

The Summit of the Americas will take place between June 6 and June 10 at Los Angeles. According to the State Department, its goal is to work with the leaders of the hemisphere to “improve pandemic response and resilience, promote a green and equitable recovery, build strong and inclusive democracies, and address the root causes of irregular migration.”

Tackling irregular migration would require Mexico’s participation; last year saw a record 1.7 million border encounters at the U.S.- Mexico border.