MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) – Tuesday’s statement by Marcelo Ebrard, the Mexican foreign minister, accused the United States of having two standards. The United States refused to invite Cuba and Nicaragua to the Summit of the Americas hosted by the United States, but engaged with other non-democratic countries in Southeast Asia.

Ebrard stated that the so-called democratic clause does not apply equally to all situations. He wrote this column in Excelsior Mexican newspaper. It was referring to Washington’s relationship with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the formation of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which took place in May.

Ebrard called U.S.’s decision “inconsistent if not contradictory”. ASEAN includes Myanmar and Vietnam. Myanmar is currently governed by a military coup. Vietnam is one-party Communist-ruled.

According to a U.S. senior official, the United States declined to host leftist leaders from Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Communist-ruled Cuba for this week’s Americas meeting in Los Angeles. They cited concerns over a lack in democracy in those countries.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the Mexican president, withdrew from the United States’ invitation because not all of the Americas countries would accept it.

The summit will address issues such as regional migration and economic problems. Lopez Obrador indicated that Biden would be meeting him instead.

Lopez Obrador stated Tuesday that “without that pressure and without that regrettable, embarrassing summit blackmail (we) will speak in July.”

Ebrard, the foreign minister, stated that members of other international organizations, including the G20, and the United Nations do not consider themselves to be democratic.

Lopez Obrador will host the summit, and he plans to push the United States for the lifting of its Cuba embargo, he said to La Jornada newspaper.