MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

OAS willing to sponsor dialogue with Cuba

The Organization of American States, OAS, Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza discarded the possibility of Venezuela abandoning the institution and underlined he favored the opening of dialogue with Cuba.

Interviewed in Rome, Italy, Insulza said "what I'm sponsoring is dialogue between Cuba and OAS, which is currently non existent, but is a bit absurd since 33 countries of the organization but one, have normal relations with Havana". Insulza said he expected "things to improve in coming years", and recalled that Cuba was suspended from OAS in 1962, but to return must subscribe and abide by the Inter-american Democratic Charter, "since OAS works on the basis of a consensus system". The Interamerican Democratic Charter "subscribed by a strange coincidence on September 11 2001 in Peru, is a document which defines democracy in a very ample sense and among other things means "free elections, honoring commitments, separation of government branches and respect for human rights". "Transition in Cuba will necessarily happen at some time", insisted Insulza who added that the Cuban regime has lasted "almost half a century" and has thrived on a very important factor: "the charismatic figure of Fidel Castro".