HAVANA -- Spanish King Juan Carlos toasted his host, President Fidel Castro, on the eve of Tuesday's Ibero-American summit, wishing prosperity for the Cuban people but reminding the communist leader of the importance of human rights.
"Only with an authentic democracy, with full guarantee for liberties and with scrupulous respect for human rights by all of us can our peoples face the challenges of the 21st century with success," Juan Carlos told the Cuban leader during a formal state dinner at the Palace of the Revolution.Castro, who changed from his trademark olive green military uniform into an elegant black suit for the dinner, previously had toasted the king as well. He thanked him for becoming the first reigning Spanish monarch to set foot on the island.
"Thank you, your majesty, for privileging a generation of Cubans with your friendly and supportive presence," Castro said.
Human rights have been in the background of the summit's major themes -- Ibero-American integration and the world economy -- bringing the heads of state together Tuesday.
Castro donned his suit once again Tuesday for the summit, arriving under heavy security early Tuesday morning at the Palace of Conventions.
The leaders and their wives were shuttled in black luxury sedans, the flags of their nations fluttering from the hoods, past a military honor guard to the conventions center.
The prime ministers of Spain and Portugal met with opponents of Castro's government on Monday, breaking a long-standing tradition of foreign leaders shunning dissidents while on Cuba soil.
The delegations of Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama held similar meetings over the weekend, and the Spanish branch of Amnesty International asked the Spanish government Monday to intercede for inmates the group described as political prisoners.
The king's gentle prod was far more subtle. But its message was not likely to be lost on Castro, who has been irritated in recent days by internal dissident groups' attempts to use the summit to bring their human rights complaints to the world.
The gathering by top leaders of 14 Latin American countries, along with those of Spain and Portugal, flies in the face of U.S. efforts to make the communist state an international pariah.
Only five heads of state were absent. The presidents of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and El Salvador refused to attend because of Cuba's human rights record or a lack of diplomatic relations.
Presidents Eduardo Frei of Chile and Carlos Menem of Argentina boycotted to protest Spain's attempt to extradite former Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet from Britain for alleged human rights abuses during his 17-year rule.
The foreign ministers participating in the summit reached general agreement Monday on a document called the Declaration of Havana, which will outline the countries' worries about international financial crises that can affect their individual economies.
The draft document also condemns laws such as the Helms-Burton Act, designed to discourage foreign investment in Cuba by punishing foreign companies investing in property confiscated from Americans. The document is to be submitted for final debate and approval today.
The leaders were joined together for the first time on Monday afternoon, when Castro gave them a tour of one of his favorite projects -- the Latin American Medicine School.
Opened earlier this year, the school offers full Cuban scholarships for six years of studies to medical students throughout the region. Nearly 2,000 students are enrolled.
Castro on Monday spent most of the day engrossed in his guests, personally receiving his visitors as they arrived at the airport.
Ordinary Cubans greeted the Spanish royal couple with cries of "Long live the King!" as they toured the colonial-style streets of Old Havana, built by the Spanish.
It was the first time a reigning Spanish monarch has set foot in Cuba, which Spain conquered in 1511 and ruled for nearly 400 years. Juan Carlos and his wife were scheduled to fly home this evening.
Castro, the son of a Spanish immigrant, placed special emphasis on the visit by the king, whom he has long liked and admired.
During the state dinner, he gave Juan Carlos framed original photographs of the king's parents, Juan and Cristina. The photographs were taken during a visit the couple made to Cuba more than a half-century ago, after Juan Carlos's father, a former monarch, was overthrown.