Latin American leftist bloc condemns exclusions from U.S.-hosted summit

By Nelson Acosta

HAVANA (Reuters) -A bloc of leftist nations assembly in Havana on Friday condemned the exclusion of sure nations from subsequent month’s Summit of the Americas, after the US stated it solely needed leaders of governments that respect democracy to attend.

America will host the Summit of the Americas from June 6 to 10 in Los Angeles, and has stated it won’t invite the governments of Venezuela or Nicaragua. The summit coordinator stated it was as much as the White Home whether or not it will invite Cuba however stated Cuban civil society activists had been requested to attend.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated this week that he wouldn’t attend below “any circumstances” even when invited. Late on Friday, one activist in Cuba alleged state safety had advised her she wouldn’t be allowed to attend both.

The ten nations generally known as the ALBA bloc – together with Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua – issued an announcement from Havana saying they “reject the exclusions and discriminatory remedy on the so-called Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.”

As well as, they described the exclusion as “arbitrary, ideological and politically motivated” and stated “this unilateral determination constituted a critical historic setback in hemispheric relations.”

Shortly beforehand, in a broadcast speech, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro described the upcoming summit as “erratic.” He applauded different nations reminiscent of Mexico, which isn’t a member of ALBA, that had “stood as much as increase the voice of the reality of a complete continent.”

The White Home and U.S. State Division didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, together with the leaders of Bolivia and several other different nations, have threatened to boycott the summit if sure nations are excluded.

This week, Reuters confirmed that 13 of the 14 nations of the Caribbean neighborhood, which doesn’t embody Cuba, have been planning to attend the Los Angeles assembly.

CUBA QUESTION

America has not made public which Cuban civil society activists had been invited to attend the Summit of the Americas.

Saily Gonzalez, a Cuban entrepreneur and one-time member of a dissident group that known as for protests in Cuba final November, posted a picture of her invitation, dated Might 20, on social media late on Friday.

In a subsequent publish, she alleged that Cuban state safety had contacted her household and notified her that she wouldn’t be permitted to select up her visa on the U.S. embassy for the journey due to her involvement in a authorized case associated to the November name for protests.

The Cuban authorities didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Gonzalez’s statements.

Gonzalez stated on Twitter that she had deliberate to fly at noon on Saturday from Havana to the US.

“Even though I’ve been prohibited from taking tomorrow’s flight and going to select up my visa passport on the

@USEmbCuba, I preserve the intention of with the ability to take part as deliberate within the occasion that may happen in Los Angeles on June 6,” she stated on Twitter.

The U.S. State Division didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Gonzalez’s scenario.

(Reporting by Nelson Acosta and Dave Sherwood in Havana; extra reporting by Matt Spetalnick in Washington; writing by Isabel WoodfordEditing by Marguerita Choy and Sam Holmes)