Every time someone asked me if the Republic of Cuba should or should not to attend the Summit of the Americas I responded in the affirmative. I know all the arguments there are against it, but I inclined to this position because it seemed to me, and it still seems to me, that the Cuban government should be there to respond to some questions from the rest of its neighbors, questions that are now on hold.

The time lost in discussion in Cartagena about the absence of Cuba at this summit should have served for the representatives of our country to explain, there, their reasons for not ratifying the International Covenants on Human Rights and why they have not fulfilled the commitments to democracy they made at other Ibero-American summits.

I would also like us to be represented at the next one. If it were not possible that it be by those legitimately elected by the people, at least those elected by the only party should attend. They should show their faces and respond.