Latin American and Caribbean leaders are in Cuba for the second annual summit of a regional grouping that excludes the United States and Canada. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States held its first gathering last year as a counterweight to forums that exclude Cuba, such as the Summit of the Americas. The Organization of American States re-admitted Cuba in 2009, but Cuba has refused to join so long as the U.S. embargo continues. On Monday, Cuban President Raúl Castro said Latin American and Caribbean countries are forging greater ties after years of U.S. domination.

Cuban President Raúl Castro: “Independently from our progress, we continue to live in a world regulated by an unfair and selective world order, in which threats to peace and external meddling in the region continue. We can’t forget the long history of intervention in internal affairs, military invasions and bloody coup d’états. The so-called 'centers of power' do not resign to the fact that they have lost control in this rich region, nor will they resign their attempts to change the course of history in our countries in order to recover their lost influence and benefit from its resources.”