In a signal that it might backtrack on statements about excluding undemocratic governments from the upcoming Summit of the Americas, the Biden administration is considering inviting a representative of the Cuban government after Mexico and other countries threatened to boycott the gathering of leaders around the hemisphere.
The Associated Press reported that the plan would entail inviting an official from Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs but not the minister himself, Bruno Rodriguez, a frequent critic of the United States.
The White House has started sending the official invitations to the heads of states in Latin America and the Caribbean to attend the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles next month, but it has not made a final decision about the exclusion of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, an administration official told the Miami Herald.
“The first tranche of invitations for the Summit of the America invitations went out on Wednesday,” the official told the Herald. “We are still evaluating options on how to best incorporate the voices of the Cuban, Venezuelan and Nicaraguan people into the summit process.”
The White House did not respond to questions about the plan to invite the Cuban official.
Previously, several State Department officials hinted that the authoritarian governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua would not be invited but have added that the final decision would come from the White House.
The mixed messages continued Friday, when the State Department certified that Cuba is “not cooperating fully” in the fight against terrorism.
The Summit of the Americas is organized by the Organization of American States and the host country every few years.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has forcefully pushed back against the administration’s plans to exclude the authoritarian leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, including in a phone call with President Joe Biden. Mexico’s absence would be noticeable at a summit where countries are expected to reach a regional migration agreement.
On Wednesday, Lopez-Obrador talked to former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, a White House special adviser for the summit, in a phone call to discuss the event’s agenda and the invitation list.
“It was an interesting, frank conversation,” Mexican foreign affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard later said in a video.
On Friday morning, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted that “Biden will soon invite the regime in #Cuba to the Summit of the Americas,” prompting concern among Cuban activists and exiles who are celebrating the 120th anniversary of Cuba’s independence from Spain.
The Biden administration has been under criticism by Florida Republicans over the easing of some sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela this week. The measures were also criticized by South Florida Democrats enmeshed in tough local races.
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