Biden starts democracy summit with $690M pledge for programs

News Summary

  • But we were wrong as Russia’s brutalization of Ukraine has shown we cannot assume that democracy, freedom and security are givens, that they are eternal,” Rutte said.Kenya’s president, William Ruto, said building democracy was was essential to the growth of developing nations.
  • Congressional efforts to shore up that federal law and increase voting access have failed.Biden came into office vowing that human rights and democracy would play significant roles in his approach to foreign policy.
  • At home, Biden pointed to his stalled push for voting protections in Congress as evidence of his administration’s commitment to support democracy.“Today, we can say, with pride, democracies of the world are getting stronger, not weaker,” Biden said.
  • But he’s faced criticism from some human rights activists for being too soft on Saudi Arabia and Egypt over their human rights records.
  • The first day of the summit was convened in a virtual format and will be followed on Thursday by hybrid gatherings in each of the host countries.Costa Rica will focus on the role of youth in democratic systems.
  • Kenya’s Supreme Court unanimously rejected the challenges.“This is our path to sustainable development,” Ruto said.The U.S. hosted the last summit on its own.
By AAMER MADHANI Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden is opening his second Summit for Democracy with a pledge for the U.S. to spend $690 million bolstering democracy programs arou [+6578 chars]