Hundreds of activists from across Latin America were preparing their agenda for the Summit of the Americas on Thursday, gathering behind closed doors one day after a rocky encounter that saw a group of Cuban dissidents being aggressively heckled by supporters of President Raul Castro.
The activists were putting together proposals to present to President Barack Obama, Castro and some 30 other hemispheric leaders at the summit starting Friday on topics ranging from protection for the environment to support for democracy in the region.
Organizers fear the grassroots groups' work is being politicized after dissidents from the communist-run island attending Wednesday's opening session were pushed around to shouts of "mercenaries" and "terrorists" by government supporters from Cuba and its ally Venezuela.
But with emotions running high over Cuba's first-ever presence at the regional gathering and recent U.S. sanctions on top-level Venezuelan officials for human rights abuses, shutting out the political noise will be difficult.
The U.S. State Department condemned what it said was "harassment" and "use of violence" against participants.
But the pro-government groups from Cuba and socialist ally Venezuela say they're more representative of the aspirations of their populations than many of the opposition groups present.
Separately, a group of 25 mostly conservative former Spanish and Latin American presidents issued a statement in Panama calling for the immediate release of Venezuelan opposition leaders it considers political prisoners and which the government accuses of trying to violently oust President Nicolas Maduro barely two years into his term. They are also seeking guarantees that parliamentary elections expected to take place later this year are fair and free.
"In some distinct situations silence isn't an option, it's tantamount to complicity," said former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar. They were accompanied by the wives of the country's two-most prominent jailed opposition leaders, Leopoldo Lopez and deposed Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma.
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