HRF: OAS Perpetuates Injustice with Resolution in Favor of Cuban Government

NEW YORK (June 11, 2009)—The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is profoundly concerned about a resolution passed in Honduras on June 3rd by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), repealing the 1962 resolution barring Cuba from the OAS and opening the possibility of Cuban government participation in all the OAS’s governing bodies. This decision sets an appalling precedent for the defense of democracy and human rights in the Americas.

“The historic injustice committed by the OAS was not in approving the 1962 resolution against the Cuban dictatorship. Rather, it was in failing to approve similar resolutions during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s against other dictatorships that had the support of the United States,” said Thor Halvorssen, president of HRF. “Dictatorships are despicable because they destroy the freedom and dignity of human beings—because they render life meaningless. Whether they call themselves Marxist-Leninist, fascist, national-socialist, leftist, or rightist is irrelevant from the perspective of the person who is left without freedom, dignity, and humanity,” added Halvorssen.

On April 21, HRF sent a letter to Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the OAS, criticizing his stance on Cuba and exposing the Cuban government’s antidemocratic behavior and blatant disregard for human rights. (See letter here.) According to data cited from seven human rights reports prepared by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the current Cuban government is guilty of having perpetrated countless instances of summary executions, arbitrary detentions, torture, rape, and other forms of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of men and women for political reasons. In a report issued February 25, the IACHR confirmed that the Cuban government still persecutes, beats, and jails those who disagree with the regime, and that political prisoners in Cuba continue to suffer cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment. According to the same report, the Cuban government’s official justification for this infringement on basic liberties is that it is perpetrated against “mercenaries” of the United States government and acts as an “answer to the growing anti-Cuban aggressiveness of the empire.”

“These are the two paradoxes,” added Halvorssen. “Instead of suspending those governments that are increasingly antidemocratic, the OAS promotes the reincorporation of the continent’s most antidemocratic government. And instead of abandoning the archaic language of the Cold War, the new resolution of the OAS seems to be based upon this same language. Nobody speaks with conviction about the need to respect the current standards of democracy and human rights and these are, in fact, ‘concerns’ relegated to a mere mention in the resolution’s preamble,” he said. “The governments of the Americas are turning a blind eye to the fact that Cuban government participation in an organization that prides itself on promoting democracy and human rights actually legitimizes the destruction of democracy and violations of human rights in the hemisphere,” Halvorssen declared.

“Just as the dictatorship of Pinochet was not absolved, history will not absolve the dictatorship of Castro,” said Halvorssen, in response to a statement made by the Honduran head of state, according to Granma, the official newspaper of the Cuban government.

HRF also announced that the sixth letter in its project, “Mr. Insulza and the Inter-American Democratic Charter,” will fully address this resolution and the Cuban government’s influence on the increasingly antidemocratic character of various governments in the continent. HRF has strongly criticized Mr. Insulza for failing to implement the Democratic Clause against those governments that currently violate the essential elements of democracy.

HRF is an international nonpartisan organization devoted to defending human rights in the Americas. It centers its work on the twin concepts of freedom of self-determination and freedom from tyranny. These ideals include the belief that all human beings have the rights to speak freely, to associate with those of like mind, and to leave and enter their countries. Individuals in a free society must be accorded equal treatment and due process under law, and must have the opportunity to participate in the governments of their countries; HRF’s ideals likewise find expression in the conviction that all human beings have the right to be free from arbitrary detainment or exile and from interference and coercion in matters of conscience. HRF does not support nor condone violence. HRF’s International Council includes former prisoners of conscience Vladimir Bukovsky, Palden Gyatso, Armando Valladares, Ramón J. Velásquez, Elie Wiesel, and Harry Wu.

Contact: Javier El-Hage, Human Rights Foundation, (212) 246.8486, info@thehrf.org

Contact: José Miguel Insulza, Organization of American States, (202) 458-6836, jinsulza@oas.org