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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Chavez threatens veto over Cuba | Chavez threatens veto over Cuba |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said he will veto any final declaration at the forthcoming Summit of the Americas because Cuba is excluded. | Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said he will veto any final declaration at the forthcoming Summit of the Americas because Cuba is excluded. |
| The summit, which starts on Friday, includes 34 Latin American and Caribbean countries. | The summit, which starts on Friday, includes 34 Latin American and Caribbean countries. |
| The US has said the gathering is reserved for democratic nations. | The US has said the gathering is reserved for democratic nations. |
| US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton urged Cuba to free political prisoners and relax media rules after the US eased travel restrictions to Cuba. | |
| Speaking during a visit to Haiti, she said Cuba must encourage "the kind of society that we all know that would improve the opportunities for the Cuban people and for their nation". | Speaking during a visit to Haiti, she said Cuba must encourage "the kind of society that we all know that would improve the opportunities for the Cuban people and for their nation". |
| US President Barack Obama, who will attend the summit, said he wanted to "see whether Cuba is also ready to change" as the US tried to improve relations. | US President Barack Obama, who will attend the summit, said he wanted to "see whether Cuba is also ready to change" as the US tried to improve relations. |
| "We don't expect them to change overnight, that would be unrealistic. But we do expect that Cuba will send signals that they're interested in liberalising," said Mr Obama, during a visit to Mexico. | "We don't expect them to change overnight, that would be unrealistic. But we do expect that Cuba will send signals that they're interested in liberalising," said Mr Obama, during a visit to Mexico. |
| Cuban President Raul Castro has said that his government is ready to discuss "everything" with the US so long as it is "on equal terms". | |
| He was speaking in Venezuela, shortly after Mr Obama made his comments - but Mr Castro made no direct reference to what the US president had said. | |
| 'Unacceptable' | 'Unacceptable' |
| Mr Chavez spoke as he welcomed his closest Latin American allies at a meeting of the Alba group of nations in the Venezuelan city of Cumana. | Mr Chavez spoke as he welcomed his closest Latin American allies at a meeting of the Alba group of nations in the Venezuelan city of Cumana. |
| He said a new organisation should be formed to replace the Organization of American States (OAS), whose members are meeting at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago. | He said a new organisation should be formed to replace the Organization of American States (OAS), whose members are meeting at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago. |
| "Why does Cuba continue to be mistreated?" Mr Chavez asked after welcoming Cuban leader Raul Castro. "We can't accept it." | "Why does Cuba continue to be mistreated?" Mr Chavez asked after welcoming Cuban leader Raul Castro. "We can't accept it." |
| "I hope the president of the United States is going to listen" at the OAS summit, he said. | "I hope the president of the United States is going to listen" at the OAS summit, he said. |
| A spokesperson for the US president said Mr Obama had no plans for a bilateral meeting with Mr Chavez during the Summit of the Americas. | |
| Mr Castro recalled Cuba's victory against an invasion of US-backed exiles at the Bay of Pigs on April 17-19 1961, the Associated Press news agency reported. | Mr Castro recalled Cuba's victory against an invasion of US-backed exiles at the Bay of Pigs on April 17-19 1961, the Associated Press news agency reported. |
| "We are going to continue fighting," he said. | "We are going to continue fighting," he said. |
| The Alba leaders, who include Mr Castro, Bolivian President Evo Morales and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, are expected to announce the launch of a shared currency called the sucre. | |
| Mr Chavez said it would begin to circulate by January 2010. | Mr Chavez said it would begin to circulate by January 2010. |