The latest: A summit of 33 Western Hemisphere leaders opened in Cartagena, Colombia on Saturday with the United States and Canada standing firm, but against everyone else's insistence that Cuba join future summits. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, a U.S. ally, called Cuba's exclusion an unjustified anachronism of the Cold War. "This is the last Summit of the Americas," Bolivia's foreign minister David Choquehuanca said, "unless Cuba is allowed to take part."
Economy: President Obama dismissed talk of tension, focusing instead on economic issues. He declared a new environment for cooperation exists in the Americas.
Drug talks: On the drug front, Obama flatly declared that legalizing drugs was not the solution to the violence that has confronted the region. He said he was open to holding the debate, but that strong economies, the rule of law and reduced demand for drugs would better contain the flow of drugs.
Falkland Islands: Obama also will be in the minority in his opposition to Argentina's claim to the British-controlled Falkland Islands when he meets with President Cristina Fernandez. Among the hemisphere's leaders, there is nearly unanimous support for Argentina.
What's next: The fate of the summit's final declaration is uncertain as Venezuela, Argentina and Uruguay said they wouldn't sign it Sunday unless the opposition to Cuba is dropped.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
