MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US not contemplating the end of the embargo on Cuba

White House official Dan Restrepo praised the consensus reached in Honduras.

The United States government said it was satisfied with the resolution which revoked OAS sanctions on Cuba, but warned that it’s “not contemplating” for the moment talking about an end on the half century embargo on the Havana regime.

Revocation “eliminates an argument from the past” said Dan Restrepo the White House Security Council Hemispheric Affairs official.

Speaking before leaving the OAS general assembly meeting in Honduras Restrepo added that US support to the resolution that lifted the 1962 sanctions, “is about extending a friendly hand to the Cuban people”.

Asked about the US embargo and economic sanctions, Restrepo said “we’re not talking of lifting the embargo; that is not being contemplated currently, we are keeping to course”.

President Barack Obama administration’s “is focused on looking for policies that advance our national interests and support the wishes of the Cuban people to determine their own future”.

Restrepo described the Honduras consensus among the 34 country members of OAS as “historic” in the path “to advance in the defence of the inter-American system basic principles”.

“It’s always positive to reinforce inter-American institutions, democracy and human rights”, he added.

The resolution agreed on consensus which opens the way for the return of Cuba to OAS states that the participation “will be the result of a process of dialogue begun at the request of the Cuban government and in line with the practices, purposes and principles of the OAS”.

”The resolution is plain clear that the return process is based on basic principles enshrined in the OAS charter and other fundamental instruments that include democracy, self determination and non interference”, underlined Restrepo.

In 2001, the OAS adopted the Inter American Democratic Charter which reaffirmed democracy, human rights and free and fair elections.

In one of its main articles the Charter establishes that “essential elements of representative democracy are the holding of free and fair elections as an expression of popular sovereignty, access to power through constitutional means, a pluralist system of political parties and organizations and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms”.