Several countries refused Sunday to sign a final declaration at the Summit of the Americas, apparently sticking to an earlier vow that they would not endorse the document in solidarity with Cuba, which was excluded from the meeting.
Several nations, including Bolivia, Venezuela, Honduras and Nicaragua, agreed ahead of time not to sign the final declaration to show displeasure that Cuba was not invited to the summit. The gesture also was taken to protest Havana's continued exclusion from hemispheric groups like the Organisation of American States, from which Cuba was barred in 1962 at Washington's insistence.
Prime Minister Patrick Manning of host Trinidad and Tobago said on Sunday that that the statement issued at the end of the three-day gathering had garnered the support of many countries, but could not be unanimously agreed upon, without alluding to the reason for the lack of support by some nations.