Obama takes tough stand ahead of Americas summit

US President Barack Obama took a tough line on the contentious issues of narcotics control and Cuba ahead of his arrival in Colombia Friday for summit talks with his peers from across the Americas. Before leaving Washington, Obama made clear in an interview with the Grupo de Diarios America, an association of leading Latin American newspapers, that he rejects the idea of decriminalizing drugs as proposed by some Central American leaders. On Cuba, he insisted that Havana authorities \"have shown no interest in changing their relationship with the United States, nor any willingness to respect the democratic and human rights of the Cuban people.\" The twin issues -- the pros and cons of drug legalization and Cuba\'s continued exclusion from the summit -- were expected dominate the agenda of the two-day Summit of the Americas, highlighting the growing disconnect between Washington and an increasingly assertive and independent Latin American bloc led by powerhouse brazil. All democratically elected leaders of the Western Hemisphere except Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa are to attend the Cartagena gathering, with the official theme being: \"Connecting the Americas: Partners for Prosperity.\" After his arrival in the scenic northern tourist resort bordering the Caribbean Friday afternoon, Obama was to attend a dinner Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. The summit, which kicks off around 1700 GMT Saturday, was also to tackle regional integration, reducing poverty and inequality, combating transnational crime and increased access to technology. But uppermost in the minds of the participants will be whether to rethink the fight against drugs, which are creating havoc across the region.  Some Central American leaders, reeling from 20,000 murders linked to cocaine cartels in their region last year, plan to push for drug decriminalization. \"This is a legitimate debate that reflects the frustrations of governments and citizens across the Americas,\" Obama acknowledged in his interview. But he said Washington would not \"legalize or decriminalize drugs because doing so would have serious negative consequences in all our countries in terms of public health and safety.\" He added that legalizing or decriminalizing drugs \"would not eliminate the danger posed by transnational organized crime.\" The US leader, who is seeking re-election in the November elections and keen not give ammunition to his right-wing domestic opponents, also stood firm on Cuba, an issue on which he faces virtually total regional isolation. \"History shows that the yearning for human freedom and dignity cannot be denied forever. No authoritarian regime lasts forever,\" he said in a pointed reference to Cuba\'s communist rulers. Cuba has never taken part in a Summit of the Americas. And in early March, Santos traveled to the Cuban capital to explain that a lack of consensus had prevented Cuba from being invited this time.  But Havana\'s exclusion prompted Correa to stay away while Bolivian President Evo Morales said on arrival Friday that he was convinced the summit would be \"the last without Cuba.\" Late Thursday, Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said here that the United States and Canada were now the only countries in the Americas that refuse to invite Cuba to the summit and which do not back Argentina\'s claim to the British-ruled Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. He said he was hopeful of securing from the summit a \"new manifestation of solidarity\" with Argentina in its dispute with Britain. Argentina and Britain this month marked 30 years since they went to war over the Falklands, with Argentine President Cristina Kirchner calling British rule over the disputed islands \"absurd.\" Washington has said it will remain neutral and has recommended a negotiated solution. Obama was also expected to hear complaints of US neglect of Latin America, which has been buoyed by rapid economic growth and economic integration, and is seeking a more balanced partnership. But in his interview, Obama countered: \"With no other region of the world does the United States have so many connections, shared values, a common heritage, and common interests.\" \"The Western Hemisphere is especially important to my highest priority, creating jobs and opportunity in the United States,\" Obama said.