The Cuban government has urged regional leaders to stay united, following the United States' rebuff of Cuban efforts to get invited to the next summit of the Americas.

The statement, published Wednesday in the Communist Party newspaper Granma, was their first reaction to their exclusion from last week's summit in Cartagena, Colombia.

The United States, backed only by Canada, rejected Cuba's participation in the meeting saying they did not meet up to democratic standards.

Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, boycotted the gathering to protest Cuba's absence while various nations raised their concerns.

The meeting ended Sunday without a final statement, or agreement on Cuba's inclusion at future summits.