Latin leaders will invite Castro to '04 summit

The Miami herald Posted on Sun, May. 25, 2003 BY FRANCES ROBLES frobles@herald.com

CUZCO, Peru - Cuban President Fidel Castro will be invited to attend next year's Rio Group summit, Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Saturday at the end of the pro-democracy group's 17th conference.

''I confess. I see no reason for Cuba to be out of the Rio Group,'' da Silva said. ``Since it was first created in Brazil, I don't know why they have not been invited. We are going to investigate that, and, next time, Cuba will be invited.''

The roots for the organization of Latin American presidents began in 1983, with a handful of nations trying to bring peace to Central America. It was formalized three years ago, and its 17 conferences since then have stressed strengthening democracy.

Cuba has been shunned from the Rio Group for years partly because of its communist government, but more because the group largely focuses on South American integration ssues. In past Rio Group summits, the organization has ''expressed profound concern'' for the situation in Cuba, but never condemned Castro.

The big difference now is that next year, da Silva -- a friend of Castro's -- will be president of the Rio Group and Brazil will host the summit.

The move to invite Cuba is unlikely to make many waves in Latin America, where Castro has friendly relationships with the presidents of not just Brazil but Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru. Cuba already participates in the Ibero-American Summit, and even recently signed a pro-democracy declaration.

''It's not going to be controversial in Latin America; it'll be controversial in Washington,'' said Eduardo Gamarra, director of the Latin America and Caribbean Center at Florida International University. ''Washington is going to be angry at any attempt to incorporate Cuba to anything.'' But Gamarra said inviting Cuba could even open Castro up to scrutiny and put the island on the global map.

Antonio Jorge, an expert on Cuba, said the invitation is significant because the invitation by da Silva -- president of the largest country in Latin America -- comes in the wake of the harshest wave of repression in more than a decade against government opponents on the island. Seventy-five dissidents arrested in mid-March are serving prison sentences of up to 28 years. Cuban authorities also executed three men last month who hijacked a passenger ferry.

Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo closed the two-day conference by emphasizing the ''concrete results,'' including a plan to raise international funding for highways linking South American nations.

''The debate has been frank, intense and rich,'' Toledo said.

Herald staff writer Nancy San Martín contributed to this report.