Cuba’s “presence” at the Summit of the Americas

President Obama travels today to the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, where he will meet with 33 leaders from the hemisphere – that meeting won’t include Cuba’s Raul Castro. The tiny island nation was barred from the Organization of American States in 1962, after the Cuban Revolution. Many of those in attendance are left-leaning Latin American presidents, including Hugo Chavez, Lula da Silva, Michelle Bachelet and Evo Morales, and while Cuba will not be directly represented, its presence will be known at the summit. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton today welcomed President Castro’s comments that he is ready to begin talks with the U.S. – including on the topic of human rights.