Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would not attend the Summit of the Americas this week due to the exclusion of some countries by the U.S. government.

“It’s time to change the dominant political practice,” the president said at a press conference.

“There cannot be a Summit of the Americas if all the countries of the American continents do not participate,” Mr Obrador insisted.

The president called for a change in the U.S. position, given its “lack of respect” for certain nations such as Cuba, which it has economically blockaded for decades.

Mexico will, instead, be represented by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard at the summit, which will hold in Los Angeles City from June 6 to June 10.

The U.S. government did not invite all regional countries, including Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

(Xinhua/NAN)