President Hugo Chavez, shown in Venezuela on Thursday, has said Venezuela would vote against the declaration by the fifth Summit of the Americas to protest the exclusion of Cuba. (Fernando Vergara/Associated Press)

When the leaders of 34 American and Caribbean countries start a weekend summit in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday, there will be the official agenda, and the real world.

The talks at the fifth Summit of the Americas are supposed to address the economy, energy security, sustainable development, public security and democracy.

But for many leaders, Cuba will be the hot-button issue during the three-day meeting that begins Friday.

The Communist country is not represented among the leaders of countries in the Organization of American States from South, North and Latin America, and the Caribbean who will be in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, because Cuba is not a democracy.

That irks Venezuelan socialist President Hugo Chavez. He firmly backs Cuba in its 50-year dispute with the United States, and said Thursday that Venezuela would vote against the declaration by the summit.

(The draft document is negotiated and prepared by officials before the leaders meet.)

Chavez complained that the draft serves American interests.

However, U.S. President Barack Obama has taken steps to warm up relations with Cuba that have been frozen since the U.S. objected to the island's move to communism in 1961.

Obama this week eased travel restrictions on Americans wanting to go to Cuba and made it easier for Americans to send money to Cubans. He then said it was up to Havana to take the next step.

Cuban President Raul Castro responded Thursday, saying "we have sent word to the U.S. government in private and in public that we are willing to discuss everything — human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners, everything.

"We could be wrong, we admit it. We're human beings."

That apparent willingness to discuss the feud can be seen as much more important than the formal talks, especially as the last summit ended in failure. At that meeting, in 2005 in Argentia, the U.S. and Canada were among the leaders pushing for a hemispheric free-trade zone.

But no agreement was reached.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper left for the meeting Friday morning, with Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas) Peter Kent.

He said he wanted to focus on the economy and security issues.

"With the global recession creating challenges for people throughout the Western Hemisphere, it is more important than ever that governments work together in response,” Harper said in a news release.

“I look forward to sharing ideas with my counterparts on how we can work more closely together on the economic and security issues facing the Americas.”

With files from the Associated Press