Venezuelan President Criticizes US Blockade of Cuba CUBA, March 19, 2009. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez reiterated on Wednesday his criticism of the US financial, trade and economic blockade of Cuba and said that the Caribbean nation should be allowed to participate in the upcoming Summit of the Americas that will take place in Trinidad and Tobago on April 17-19, 2009. During a session of the Council of Ministers in Caracas, Chavez said that Cuba is the only country of the hemisphere that is not invited to this kind of event. "This issue should be revised in the next meeting," he noted. According to Juventud Rebelde news daily, Chavez again condemned the US economic blockade of Cuba and said that he expects the new American Administration to define its position in this regard during the next Summit of the Americas. He also announced that, on April 16th, Venezuela will host the 5th Extraordinary Summit of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), a mechanism for regional integration and cooperation founded in December 2004. (Cubaminrex- ACN) |