Summit of Americas in LA opens today: Key events, things to know

By Orange County on June 6, 2022

The Summit of the Americas opens today in Los Angeles, the first time a U.S. city has hosted the event since 1994 when the inaugural conference was in Miami, and representatives from the Western Hemisphere are starting to arrive.

The conference convenes once every three or four years and is expected to address issues including immigration, climate, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The summit will be from Monday through June 10 with a focus on “Building a Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Future” in the Americas. Delegates are expected to arrive today and Tuesday, with the main summit events beginning Wednesday. Most events will be staged at the Convention Center.

Here are some key moments on the horizon:

TODAY

Delegates arrive at LAX.
All day Monday-Wednesday: The Ninth Civil Society Forum will be held over three days, sponsored by the Organization of American States. The event is billed as a forum for “direct engagement between leaders and independent civil society representatives from all of the countries of the Americas.” It will “elevate voices from across the hemisphere focused on a wide range of issues yet together committed to ensuring democracy delivers for the people of our hemisphere.”
Vice President Kamala Harris will host a roundtable discussion with faith leaders on reproductive health care at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor headquarters . Harris is set to participate in a tour of the Summit of the Americas Civil Society Forum Initiatives Fair at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles later Monday afternoon, engaging with civic leaders from the Western Hemisphere focused on women’s empowerment, democratic governance and women in government, her office said.
2 p.m. The International Air Transport Association will host a roundtable Downtown.
4 p.m. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti will join U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Kenneth Salazar, Consul General of Mexico in L.A. Ambassador Marcela Celorio and Councilwoman Nithya Raman for the installation of the Wings of Mexico at Griffith Park.

TUESDAY

Many delegates continue to arrive, with the main summit events beginning Wednesday.
All day: The CEO Summit will bring together diverse business leaders from around the hemisphere. Events will be livestreamed; details had not yet been released Monday.
5 p.m. Unrelated to the summit, first lady Jill Biden will deliver the keynote address to Los Angeles City College students at their graduation.

WEDNESDAY

President Joe Biden is expected to arrive.
9:30 a.m. Ministerial Meeting of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) chaired by The Secretary of State of the United States
All day Wednesday and Thursday: The Sixth Young Americas Forum will bring together young people from around the Americas “to connect with their governments, representatives of the private sector and civil society.”
5 p.m. IX Summit of the Americas Inaugural Ceremony, hosted by The President and First Lady of the United States

THURSDAY

11 a.m. Head of Delegation Arrivals to the Summit Site
2 p.m. Leaders’ Opening Plenary Session
7:30 p.m. Leaders’ Dinner hosted by President and Mrs. Biden
6 p.m. Ministers’ Reception hosted by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken
6 p.m. Delegates’ Reception hosted by the City of Los Angeles

FRIDAY

9:15 a.m. Leaders’ Second Plenary Session
10 a.m. Leaders’ Roundtables 1 & 2 with Civil Society, Private Sector, and Youth Representatives
11:30 a.m. Leaders’ Roundtables 3 & 4 with Civil Society, Private Sector, and Youth Representatives
1:30 pm. Heads of Delegation of the IX Summit of the Americas Family Photo
1:45 p.m. Leaders’ Retreat and Working Luncheon hosted by The President of the United States
1:45 p.m. Ministers’ Luncheon hosted by The Secretary of State of the United States
3:30 p.m. Leaders’ Third Plenary Session
3:30 p.m. Leaders’ Roundtables 5 & 6 with Civil Society, Private Sector, and Youth Representatives
5 p.m. Leaders’ Roundtables 7 & 8 with Civil Society, Private Sector, and Youth Representatives

DEMONSTRATIONS/ALTERNATIVE EVENTS

Several alternative events and protests are also planned this week:

Community, progressive, pro-labor and other groups, including CHIRLA, CARECEN and SEIU 721, are teaming up to host an alternative to the Summit of Americas at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, at 400 W. Washington Blvd. (enter on Grand Avenue). It will include music and art, workshops, speakers, debates, panel discussions and performances that highlight the priorities of working and poor people, and to serve as a critique on the U.S.’s impact in the hemisphere. The three-day program is detailed on the event website: https://peoplessummit2022.org/program
An opening rally dubbed “Migration & Human Rights in the Americas” for the People’s Summit will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, at the corner of Olympic and Broadway, with a focus on migration and immigration. Angelica Salas, the executive director of CHIRLA, one of the People’s Summit organizers, will also participate as a representative for “civil society” organizations in an official Summit of the America’s event on Tuesday, June 7.
A multi-organization protest at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8 is planned at Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Avenue. Organizers include Union del Barrio, Black Alliance for Peace, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN), Socialist Unity Party, American Indian Movement- Southern CA (AIM SoCal) and the Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice. More information can be found at the event’s Facebook page and the Black Alliance for Peace website.
UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations will host its democracy dialogues event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8, to discuss “safeguarding democracy in the Americas and how to strengthen the Inter-American Democratic Charter.” The event features a master class led by Chile’s president, Gabriel Boric, followed by a Q&A. More information can be found on the event website and the event’s Facebook page. Register here.

TRAFFIC WATCH

Through Saturday, commuters should avoid:

The areas between the Santa Monica (10) and the Hollywood (101) freeways west of the Harbor (110) Freeway, whenever possible.
Connector ramps from the east and westbound 10 Freeway to the 110 Freeway north;
The 110 Freeway northbound exits into downtown, including Pico Boulevard, Ninth Street, Sixth Street, Fourth Street and Third Street;
The 110 Freeway southbound exits for Sixth Street and Wilshire Boulevard;
Figueroa Street, north and southbound, between Washington Boulevard and Third Street;
Pico Boulevard, east and westbound, between Union Avenue and Grand Avenue;
Seventh Street, east and westbound, between Bixel Street and Flower Street; and
Wilshire Boulevard, east and westbound, between Bixel Street and Flower Street.

People can use the following freeway exits to access downtown between Monday and Saturday:

Exit 16A Santa Fe, 15B Alameda Street, 15A Central Ave, 14B San Pedro Street and 14A Convention Center if traveling westbound on the 10 Freeway;
Exit Convention Center/Grand Avenue/Olive Street, 14A Maple Avenue, 14B San Pedro Street, 15A Central Avenue, 15B Alameda Street, 16A Santa Fe Avenue if traveling eastbound on the 10 Freeway; and
Exit 20B 37th Street and Exposition Boulevard, 20C Adams Boulevard, or transition onto either the 10 or 101 Freeways east or westbound if traveling northbound on the 110 Freeway.

Updates on road closures will be provided on Twitter through Caltrans at @CaltransDist7 and @CaltransHQ.

For help/more information

Bicyclists, DASH users, Metro riders and those about to get on a plane can find more information below. Twitter is expected to jam up with details both helpful and dramatic. Here are some online spots to start:

Unified L.A. (city of Los Angeles): Twitter account @unifiedla and website at http://unifiedla.lacity.org.
Caltrans District 7 (lane/ramp closures): Twitter accounts @CaltransDist7 and @CaltransHQ.
Los Angeles Department of Transportation (DASH routes): Twitter accounts @ladotofficial and @ladottransit and website at http://ladottransit.com/whatsnew.
Metro (buses and trains): Twitter account @metrolaalerts.
Los Angeles International Airport (airport): Twitter accounts @FlyLAXStats (travel time to and through the central terminal area) and @FlyLAXAirport.
During the event, people who use Metro’s bike share program may see service interruptions due to the temporary removal of three bike share stations starting Thursday, June 2. The stations will be back June 13.

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report

Source: Orange County Register