LATAM POLITICS TODAY-U.S. wants stronger economic ties for regional partners

An exclusive Reuters analysis of U.N. trade data from 2015-2021 shows that outside of Mexico, the top U.S. trade partner, China has overtaken the United States in Latin America and widened the gap last year. Cuban president says U.S. can't 'silence our voice' Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel said in a televised speech that the United States lacked "moral authority" to lecture on democracy at the Summit. "The United States has the capacity to prevent the presence of Cuba in Los Angeles," Diaz Canel said.

The latest in Latin American politics today:

U.S. unveils new Latin America economic plan at reboot summit dogged by dissent LOS ANGELES - The Biden administration unveiled a new proposed U.S. economic partnership with Latin America as regional leaders gathered for a U.S.-hosted summit whose agenda has been undermined by discord over the guest list.

Seeking to counter China's growing clout, a senior administration official said President Joe Biden is offering America's neighbors to the south an alternative that calls for increased U.S. engagement, including stepped-up investment, strengthening supply lines and building on existing trade deals. The deal will initially focus on "like-minded partners" that already have U.S. trade accords, the official said.

Latin America, Caribbean could add $78 bln in yearly exports as businesses relocate LOS ANGELES - Nearshoring, where a business moves its operations to a nearby country from one farther away, could benefit Latin America and the Caribbean with up to $78 billion annually in exports, estimates showed.

Mexico and Brazil would be the greatest beneficiaries, bringing in an additional $35.28 billion and $7.48 billion respectively, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) said. Mexico president trades barbs with Cuban-American senators

MEXICO CITY - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took swipes at Cuban-American Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Bob Menendez during a regular press conference, piling on from criticism lobbed in recent days. Lopez Obrador has accused the three senators, and other Cubans living in the United States, of wielding power to continue the United States' embargo on Cuba.

Poll shows Brazil's Lula maintains strong lead in presidential race SAO PAULO - Brazil's leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is holding a strong lead against incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro for the October election, a Genial/Quaest poll showed.

Lula has 46% voter support in a first-round vote, a 16-percentage-point lead over his far-right rival, with Bolsonaro two points down from his best showing in April. In an expected run-off between them, Lula has widened his advantage to 22 percentage points and would win the election by 54% versus 32% for Bolsonaro, the Genial/Quaest poll said.

Bolsonaro says he will not interfere with state-run Petrobras RIO DE JANEIRO - Bolsonaro said the government would not interfere with state-run oil firm Petrobras, but complained about the company's high profits.

"Big oil companies have lowered their profit margin and here it's still the opposite," Bolsonaro said in a speech at for the Commercial Association of Rio de Janeiro. Lula, governors slam Bolsonaro fuel tax credit

BRASILIA - Lula, a former Brazilian president, criticized measures taken by Bolsonaro to reduce taxes collected on fuels in an interview with a Minas Gerais-based radio station. Lula said the initiatives will not benefit the majority of the population and there could be a loss of revenue for Brazil's municipalities.

Several state governors who met earlier with congressional leaders also spoke out against the move. Under Biden, China has widened trade lead in much of Latin America

BUENOS AIRES/LIMA/LOS ANGELES - China has widened the gap on the United States in trade terms in large swathes of Latin America since Biden came into office early last year, data show, underscoring how Washington is being pushed onto the back foot in the region. An exclusive Reuters analysis of U.N. trade data from 2015-2021 shows that outside of Mexico, the top U.S. trade partner, China has overtaken the United States in Latin America and widened the gap last year.

Cuban president says U.S. can't 'silence our voice' Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel said in a televised speech that the United States lacked "moral authority" to lecture on democracy at the Summit.

"The United States has the capacity to prevent the presence of Cuba in Los Angeles," Diaz Canel said. "But it does not have the power to silence our voice, nor to silence the truth." Colombia's extractive industries watching election warily

BOGOTA - Colombia's leftist firebrand presidential candidate Gustavo Petro is too close in recent polls for the comfort of oil companies and miners who worry that his promised policies would imperil Colombia's economy and energy self-sufficiency, high-ranking industry figures and business associations said. Biden and Bolsonaro to have awkward first meeting at Americas summit

LOS ANGELES/BRASILIA - Bolsonaro and Biden, his U.S. counterpart, have never seen eye-to-eye, but they have agreed to an awkward, hastily arranged meeting in Los Angeles on Thursday for their own different motives. Biden reached out to Bolsonaro, a far-right populist, in a last-ditch attempt to save a hemispheric summit, while Bolsonaro will use a meeting with the world's most powerful man to boost his image as he heads into a tough re-election campaign.

(Compiled by Steven Grattan and Kylie Madry; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

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