OAS member states agree to lift suspension of Cuba
BY FRANCES ROBLES
frobles@MiamiHerald.com
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras -- Cuba's 47-year suspension from the
Organization of American States will be lifted, thanks to an agreement
reached Wednesday by foreign ministers assembled in Honduras, diplomats
here announced.
''The cold war has ended today in San Pedro Sula,'' Honduran President
Manuel Zelaya said.
The United States-- which had been pressuring the OAS for weeks to
condition Cuba's readmission to the hemispheric group on democratic
principles and commitment to human rights -- characterized the agreement
as good news, saying it does in fact contain important clauses.
Ecuador's foreign minister, Fander Falconí, told reporters there are no
such conditions.
''This is a new proposal, it has no conditions -- of any kind,'' Falconí
said. ``That suspension was made in the Cold War, in the language of the
Cold War. What we have done here is fix a historic error.''
Cuba was suspended from the OAS in 1962. More and more Latin American
nations had pushed for Cuba to be readmitted to the organization.
Hillary Clinton worked through the day Tuesday trying to convince Latin
American nations to allow some conditions but left before reaching
agreement.
The U.S. State Department pointed to crucial language within the
resolution: ``...that Cuba's participation in the OAS would be the
result of a dialogue initiated at the government of Cuba's request and
in conformity with the practices, purposes and principles of the OAS.''
In 2001, the OAS passed the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which
calls for member nations to embrace democracy.
''The historic action taken today eliminates a distraction from the past
and allows us to focus on the realties of today,'' said State Department
spokeswoman Sara A. Mangiaracina, ``and continue with the president's
efforts to support the desire of the Cuban people to determine Cuba's
future consistent with our core principles.''
The next step is Cuba's.
Cuba has called the organization a ''cadaver,'' and said publicly and
often that it has no interest in joining.
''Here on forward we depend on the sovereign will of the State of
Cuba,'' said Honduran OAS ambassador Carlos Sosa. ``If they show
interest to return to the organization, they will do so within the
normal procedures and a final decision would be made by the OAS plenary.''
University of Miami Cuba expert Andy Gomez, who was at the OAS
conference this week, said the 1962 suspension may have been lifted, but
to rejoin the organization, Cuba would have to agree to sign the
organization's democratic charter.
''This is meaningless,'' Gomez said. ``This does not mean they are back
in.''
OAS member states agree to lift suspension of Cuba - Breaking News -
MiamiHerald.com (3 June 2009)
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/1079796.html
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