After the United States stated that it would only allow leaders of democratic governments to attend the Summit of the Americas next month, a bloc of leftist countries met in Havana Friday to condemn the exclusion of some nations.
The Summit of the Americas will be held in Los Angeles from June 6-10, 2010. However, the United States has stated that it will not invite the governments of Nicaragua or Venezuela. Although the summit coordinator stated that it was up to Washington to invite Cuba, he said that civil society activists from Cuba had been invited.
Miguel Diaz-Canel, the Cuban President, stated this week that he will not attend in “any circumstance” even though he was invited. One activist in Cuba claimed that state security had informed her she wouldn’t be allowed to attend late Friday.
The ALBA bloc, which includes Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba and Cuba, issued a statement in Havana stating that they “reject the exclusions of discriminatory treatment at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.”
They also described the exclusion of their client as “arbitrary, ideologic, and politically motivated” and stated that “this unilateral decision constitutes a grave historical setback in hemispheric relationships.”
In a broadcast speech shortly before the summit, Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s President, described it as “erratic”. He praised Mexico, which isn’t a member, for “standing up to the truth of an entire continent” and he applauded others.
The White House and U.S. State Department didn’t immediately respond to our requests for comment.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador from Mexico, together with leaders from Bolivia and other countries, threatened to boycott the summit if certain nations are not included.
Reuters has confirmed that 13 countries from the Caribbean Community, which doesn’t include Cuba, are planning to attend the Los Angeles meeting.
CUBA QUESTION
The United States has not disclosed which Cuban civil society activists were invited to the Summit of the Americas.
Saily Gonzalez, a Cuban businessman and former member of a dissident organization that called for protests to Cuba last November, shared an image of her invitation, which was dated May 20, via social media late Friday.
She claimed that Cuban security had called her family to inform her that she wouldn’t be allowed to pick up her visa at U.S. Embassy for the trip due to her involvement in a legal matter relating to the November call for demonstrations.
Gonzalez’s statements were not immediately addressed by the Cuban government.
Gonzalez stated on Twitter that Gonzalez had intended to fly Saturday at noon from Havana to Washington.
“Despite the fact I was prohibited from taking tomorrow’s flight, I will still be going to the airport to get my visa passport.
