Honduran President Porfirio Lobo is not invited to the second Summit of Latin American and Caribbean Unity, organizers of the regional confab announced. Mexico, which will host the event on February 22-23 in the resort city of Cancún, said the Honduran government should be recognized by the Organization of American States (OAS) before it can take a seat at the summit. (RIA-Novosti, Press TV, Feb. 21)
Mexican Exterior Secretary Patricia Espinosa’s statement struck a conciliatory note—and acknowledged that Honduras, while absent, will be a key agenda item at the summit. “We have no doubt that what the new government in Honduras seeks is to achieve re-insertion in the international scheme as soon as possible,” Espinosa said.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim expressed similar sentiments. While saying Honduras should be allowed to return to the inter-American system, he noted that conditions for that to happen “cannot be fulfilled in one day.” he added, “Let us see how the situation evolves.” (DPA, Feb. 20)
The summit in Cancun will co-incide with a meeting of the Rio Group and the Latin American Summit on Integration and Development (CALC). (Prensa Latina, Feb. 21) The last CALC, held in Jamaica in November, issued a statement demanding the “immediate restitution” of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya.
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