Panama City, April 12
The 7th Summit of the
Americas in Panama has ended with a historic renewal of hemispheric
relations despite continued criticism of US "interventionism" in the
region.
The presence of Cuban President Raul Castro, who received
an ovation before delivering an address that lasted slightly more than
40 minutes, and his meeting later with US President Barack Obama were
undoubtedly the highlights of the summit which ended on Saturday.
Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela officially closed the summit, Spanish news agency Efe reported.
"This
has been a historic summit... I am sure it will mark the start of a new
era based on respectful dialogue and cooperation in our region," the
Panamanian leader said.
As the host country, Panama tried to promote "frank and respectful dialogue" among the leaders of the Americas, Varela said.
The
35 countries represented at the summit reached "agreement on 90 percent
of the mandates proposed", the Panamanian leader said.
Venezuelan
President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday confirmed that he met with Obama
and "the possibility exists of moving to a process of talks".
The
nearly 10-minute meeting with Obama was "serious" and "frank", Maduro
told Telesur, adding that the two leaders spoke "the truth" in a
"cordial" manner.
"I told him we're not the enemies of the United
States, that we are revolutionaries, passionate, and that we want to
build peace," Maduro said.
Maduro did not reveal much more about
his conversation with Obama, but he said "the possibility could open up
in the next few days of moving to a process of conversations with the
United States and of opening respectful relations".
The leaders attending the summit on Saturday rejected the executive actions taken by the US toward Venezuela.
In
address, Castro recounted the history of US "imperialist aggression" in
Latin America, although he absolved Obama of responsibility for past
actions by Washington.
Castro, whose country was invited to the
gathering for the first time this year, received an ovation when he
began his speech by saying the "time had come for me to speak here" on
Communist-ruled Cuba's behalf.
He referred to the US's "wars,
conquests and interventions" in the region, saying through an
interpreter that the country has been a "hegemonic force that plundered
territories throughout the Americas".
"The passion comes out of
my pores when the revolution is involved, but I want to apologise to
President Obama because he doesn't have anything to do with all of
that," Castro said, eliciting another round of applause.
"All (of
the previous US presidents) are indebted to us, but not President
Obama," who is an "honest man... with a manner about him that speaks to
his humble origins", the Cuban leader said.
Last December, Obama
and Castro simultaneously announced plans to work to restore full
diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba.
Washington severed
diplomatic ties with Havana in 1961 and has maintained an economic
embargo against the Communist-ruled island since late 1962.
Since
December's announcement, senior diplomats from both countries have met
several times to discuss the re-opening of embassies and the Obama
administration has taken limited steps to ease the economic embargo
Washington imposed on Cuba in 1962.
