Chavez Undecided on Americas Summit

HAVANA TIMES, April 14 — The VI Summit of the Americas officially begins today in Cartagena, Colombia and as of last night the presence of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was still undecided.

Chavez told a rally of supporters celebrating the anniversary of the defeat of the 2002 coup against his government that he would be traveling sometime Saturday to Cuba for the fourth round of radiotherapy treatment in his battle to defeat cancer.

He said the doctors would determine whether he could make a brief appearance at the Summit on route to Havana.

Chavez spoke from the balcony of Miraflores presidencial palace, noting the consolidation of his Bolivarian Revolution during the ten years since the coup that saw him kidnapped and out of office for 48 hours.

As in the other five summits held since 1994, Cuba was not invited, but its presence is expected to be felt in the debates.  Several countries, including host Colombia, insist that there should be no more such events without all the countries of the Americas present.

Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa is boycotting the Summit in protest of the exclusion of Cuba.