Presidents and top officials from 11 Latin American countries on Sunday called on organizers of the upcoming Summit of the Americas in April to ensure that Cuba will be invited on equal terms with all other nations in the region.

The leaders of Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Dominica, Ecuador, San Vicente and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbados met for talks in Caracas this weekend as part of diplomatic preparations for the upcoming Americas summit which will be held in the Colombian city of Cartagena on April 14-15.

The countries, all members of the Bolivarian Alliance of the People of Latin America (ALBA) which was founded by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez in 2004, also confirmed that they fully support Argentina in its claim to sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, also known as the Falklands.

Top delegates, including ALBA summit host Chavez, Bolivia' s President Evo Morales and Ecuador' s President Rafael Correa, spoke in favor of demanding that Cuba be invited, as members of the Organization of American States (OEA) are invited.

Cuba is the only country in the entire Americas region that is not a member of OEA, because of strained relations between Washington and Havana.

"It is illogically to speak of the 6th Summit of the Americas without the participation of Cuba," said Correa, who also proposed the issue be raised in other regional blocks and forums such as the Union of South American Nations and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.

Morales said that he himself would boycott participation in the OEA-sponsored summit in solidarity with Cuba, unless Cuba is invited.

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega added it was fundamental that Latin American countries stand strong and united in supporting Cuba "because it is about supporting a brother nation."

Cuba's leader Raul Castro thanked the countries for their support and solidarity.

Haiti, Surinam and Santa Lucia, all members of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) also participated in the talks, which quickly focused on the absence of Cuba at the summit.

All 34 member countries of the OEA are expected to participate in the Cartagena summit in April.