OAS impasse over Cuba

AFTER a week of intense diplomatic manoeuvrings at the Organisation of American States (OAS) to condemn Cuba’s human rights record, the impasse continues over approval of either a resolution or a statement.

The controversy started over a week ago when Nicaragua, backed by the USA and Costa Rica, moved to win approval of a resolution condemning the human rights situation in Cuba.

But it ran into a procedural hurdle with representatives of Caribbean and Latin American states arguing against the propriety of the OAS becoming involved in such a resolution against Cuba which is in no position to reply, having been expelled from the hemispheric organisation some 41 years ago.

Then last week came what is understood to be a new initiative by Nicaragua’s ambassador, Carmen Marina Guitterez, for the Permanent Council of the OAS to consider for approval instead, a statement she prepared, in co-operation with the co-sponsors of her original resolution, the USA and Costa Rica.

A draft statement was also proposed by representatives of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) who form the single largest bloc at the OAS. But diplomatic sources indicated yesterday that after much “haggling” over different “drafts” and “suggestions”, the issue remained unresolved.

Nicaragua’s anti-Cuba resolution at the OAS followed rejection by a 31-15 majority of similar sentiments expressed in amendments sought by Costa Rica last month at a meeting in Geneva of the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

That meeting, however, passed by a 24-20 majority for Cuba to concur with an earlier decision of the Commission in 2002 to accept a special representative from that body to visit Cuba and assess its human rights record.

Cuba has explained that it had previously “voluntarily” accepted visits from representatives of the Commission and leading international personalities, among them former US president Jimmy Carter.

But, it said, it was opposed to “any imposition” by the Commission, “especially when it continues to turn a blind eye to gross human rights abuses in countries like Israel and the USA itself”.

The diplomatic impasse at the OAS, that followed sharp verbal clashes at the UN Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva, came against the backdrop of Cuba’s execution of three hijackers and the imprisonment of some 75 dissidents, some for as long as 28 years, and including journalists, for alleged involvement in “conspiratorial activities” with the USA against the Cuban government and people.

Cuba has come under strong criticisms from some countries for the imprisonment and executions and Nicaragua, USA and Costa Rica may collaborate in new moves this week at the OAS for a statement against Cuba.

For its part, the Cuban government has been pointing to the imprisonment, after “long and cruel detention” of five Cubans in Miami, ongoing “terrorist activities directed from the USA against Cuba, including hijackings” and denial of all efforts by the Castro administration for bilateral co-operation.

Wedding vows — in death

PORT OF SPAIN — A Trinidadian man and a Venezuelan woman who had planned to be married on August 6 but died, along with three others, in a highway accident last Monday, had wedding vows read to them at their funeral on Friday in Trinidad and Tobago.

Venezuelan Sudheyl Sanchez, who was studying English in Port of Spain, was being driven to the Piarco International Airport on April 28 for a flight to Caracas to purchase her wedding dress when she, her Trinidadian fiancé, John Solomon, and three friends perished in a gruesome crash involving two cars and a truck.

Parents of the lovers who were excited about their coming marriage, arranged for the priest at the Malabar Christian Centre to read traditional marriage vows at the funeral service that was packed with grieving mourners, many weeping openly with the couple’s parents.

Their parents also vowed to “follow the commitment, keep the faith and follow the love” of John and Sudheyl.

PNC/R ends Parliament boycott

GEORGETOWN — A new political wind seems to be blowing in Guyana with the end of a long parliamentary boycott by the main opposition People’s National Congress/Reform and the start of a much-delayed high-level bipartisan dialogue.

With the exception of one day’s attendance for a private members motion from the opposition, the PNC/R had boycotted for over a year the 65-member National Assembly in which it has 25 seats.

The return to Parliament on Friday followed the first-ever official dialogue on Thursday between President Bharrat Jagdeo and the PNC/R’s new leader, Robert Corbin, who succeeded the late Desmond Hoyte.

Agreement has been reached by both sides on the creation of a series of bipartisan committees to deal with resolution of various issues of social, economic and political significance to the Guyanese people.

The “process of constructive engagement” between Jagdeo and Corbin, as announced, also coincided with the swearing in of the appointed representatives of an Ethnic Relations Commission, mandated to work for the promotion of ethnic harmony in the multi-ethnic and culturally diverse society where ethnic divisions have seriously impacted on national cohesion.