I ask to you excuse my absence at the convened 3rd Latin American, Caribbean and European Union Heads of State and Government Summit.

For several days, I contemplated the advisability of attending.

I finally decided not to for several reasons. The fundamental ones are:

First: European Union complicity in the crimes and aggression of the United States against Cuba in the context of its despicable and hypocritical conduct in Geneva and its shameful understanding over and connivance with the Helms-Burton Act, of an unacceptable and ignominious extraterritorial nature, makes it unworthy of being taken seriously by our people.

They did not dare to say a single word in Geneva concerning the concentration camp on the illegal naval base in Guantánamo.

There is no way that during that conference, the European Union will accept any exposé of the murder, abuse and humiliation being committed against countless numbers of people from Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America in general who attempt to escape from the underdevelopment and poverty imposed by the international, plundering and genocidal economic order prevailing in the world today, and from which it also benefits.

According to all reports received, this is a conference lacking in any content whatsoever, of a purely ceremonial nature, in which the European Union will not commit itself to anything at all, not even the most basic respect for the principle of non-intervention.

Second: The shameful consensus and betrayal of Cuba by several Latin American governments in their shameless submission to the orders of the United States, deeply wound our people, and it is not possible to concede the most minimum seriousness or respect to their judgements and decisions.

Third: Everything has been organized in such a way that there cannot be any truly free, open and public discussion on the vital issues that concern the destinies of our hemisphere and the world.

Fourth: Our ambassador was unjustly expelled from Mexico some days ago, and their are serious pending and unresolved issues related to the false and dishonest charge that our country has interfered in Mexico’s internal affairs.

Fifth: Setting aside the bitter experience of what occurred in Monterrey, in our opinion, the minimum conditions do not exist for a visit by me to that beloved sister country on the occasion of the aforementioned meeting to result in anything constructive.

I would like it to be noted how much it distresses me to lose the opportunity of greeting brothers such as Chávez, Kirchner, Lula, Patterson and other brilliant fighters for a better future for our peoples of the Americas. They will do what they can, and they are capable of doing a lot, during the five minutes that they are granted in that meeting, where, it is affirmed, the media will not be present.

Perhaps during the opening ceremonial banquet, with its speakers carefully selected beforehand, among the exquisite dishes, champagne and wine that have nothing to do with the billions of people in the world suffering from hunger and poverty, the echo of some genuinely dissident voices might be heard.

Cuba feels itself extremely honorably and ideally represented by its young, brilliant foreign minister, who in the few seconds that he is granted in a corner of that meeting, will be capable of expressing essential truths.

I continue to firmly believe that a better world is possible.

Fraternally,