"President Trump will not attend the 8th Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru or travel to Bogota, Colombia as originally scheduled," the statement said. "The President will remain in the United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor developments around the world."
As the spokesperson specified, Vice President Mike Pence will go to the summit instead of Trump.
The White House said on Monday that Trump is considering all options in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack against civilians in the Syrian city of Douma. Trump has blamed the Syrian government for the attack, though the Syrian government denies the allegations.
.@POTUS Trump condemns the heinous attack on innocent Syrians with banned chemical weapons. #Syria pic.twitter.com/qiEahlL3Ah
— Department of State (@StateDept) April 9, 2018
Also on Monday, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the United States will respond to the alleged chemical attack regardless of whether the UN Security Council approves a draft resolution to take action against the Assad government.
.@USUN Ambassador Nikki Haley: The United States is determined to see the monster who dropped chemical weapons on the people of #Syria held to account. pic.twitter.com/ioONdC05xQ
— Department of State (@StateDept) April 9, 2018
On Saturday, opposition news sources citing Syrian militants said government forces allegedly used chlorine in an attack in Douma that killed up to 70. Syrian officials said that terrorists and the White Helmets staged the attack to influence public opinion.
.@POTUS Trump condemns the heinous attack on innocent Syrians with banned chemical weapons. #Syria pic.twitter.com/qiEahlL3Ah
— Department of State (@StateDept) April 9, 2018
Cuban Participation
Meanwhile, speaking later in the day, US Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert called on Cuba to facilitate the full participation of civil society in the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Peru.
"We call on the Cuban government to facilitate full, robust participation in the Summit by allowing the free and unrestricted travel of its citizens, a universal human right," Nauert said.
Nauert explained the State Department has received numerous, credible reports that the Cuban government has engaged in activities to undermine the country’s civil society from participating in the Summit.
"[The Cuban government] prevented and continues to prevent members of independent civil society from traveling to Peru to participate in the Summit of the Americas," Nauert said.
The State Department spokesperson emphasized the United States condemns these actions of the Cuban government.
The Summit of the Americas is set to take place in Lima, Peru, on April 13-14.
