MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

It’s official: Cuba thanks sanctions’ revoke but says No to OAS

Cuba praises Latinamerica’s courage for the defeat of US imperialism

Cuba has formally rejected re-joining the Organization of American States, days after the group revoked Cuba's expulsion from the OAS nearly 50 years ago. Cuba's official media published a government statement Monday saying Cuba's values are incompatible with what it described as the group's neo-liberal values of capitalism and self-promotion.

The statement also accused the United States of exercising oppressive control over the OAS.

“The decision to rescind Resolution 6 of the 8th OAS Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs constitutes an unquestioned disrespect for the U.S. policy on Cuba followed since 1959. It pursues the aim of repairing a historic injustice and is a vindication for the Cuban people and peoples of the Americas”, said the article in Granma.

It went on to say that despite the last-minute consensus achieved in Honduras, that decision was adopted against Washington’s will and in the face of intensive moves and pressure exerted by governments in the region and “in that way, dealt imperialism a defeat using its very own instrument”.

Cuba, adds the article, welcomes with satisfaction this expression of sovereignty and civic-mindedness, while thanking those governments which, with a spirit of solidarity, independence and justice, have defended Cuba’s right to return to the organization. It also understands the desire to free the OAS from a stigma that has remained as a symbol of the organization’s servility”.

However, Cuba once again confirms that it will not return to the OAS.

The article also points out that Cuba enjoys diplomatic relations with all the countries of the hemisphere apart from the United States and has developed broad links of friendship and cooperation with the majority of them.

With many of those countries Cuba shares values that are contrary to those of neo-liberal and egotistical capitalism promoted by the OAS, and feels that it has the right and the authority to say “no” to the idea of joining a body in which the United States still exercises oppressive control.

The peoples and governments of the region will understand this just position.

The 34-member OAS voted Wednesday last week to lift its 1962 suspension of Cuba's membership -- in place because of Cuba's alignment with the Soviet block. The OAS said Cuba's re-entry would be the result of a “process of dialogue” under the group's “practices, proposals and principles” - an indirect reference to human-rights protections and democracy.

Before the OAS decision, Cuban officials had anticipated they had no interest in re-joining the hemispheric group. In an essay published last week, Former Cuban President Fidel Castro called the OAS an accomplice to crimes committed against his country.

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on the OAS members assembled in Honduras last week to restore Cuba's membership, only after political prisoners are released and basic human rights are improved.

Clinton expressed satisfaction with the compromise measure that emerged from the meeting. She said Cuba can return to the OAS if it decides that its participation meets the purposes and principles of the organization, which include democracy and human rights.