FIDEL: "Does OAS Have Right to Exist?" OAS has "garbage of 60 years of betrayal of peoples of LatAm"

[magbana]

Reflections of Fidel
Does the OAS have a right to exist?

(Taken from CubaDebate)

TODAY I spoke frankly of the atrocities committed against the peoples of Latin America. Those of the Caribbean were not even independent when the Cuban Revolution triumphed. April 19, when the Americas Summit ends, is precisely the 48th anniversary of the Cuba’s victory at the Bay of Pigs. I was careful with the OAS; I did not say one single word that could be interpreted as an offense to the venerable institution, although everyone knows how much repugnance it produces in us.

A fairly hostile dispatch from the British Reuters news agency affirms that: "Cuba needs to make clear that it is committed to democracy if it wants to return to the Organization of American States as demanded by a growing chorus of Latin American governments,’ OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza said in an interview in the Brazilian O’Globo daily.

"U.S. President Barack Obama is reviewing Washington's decades-old policy of isolating communist Cuba ahead of a Summit of the Americas meeting this weekend, where Latin American leaders are expected to press for an end to the longstanding U.S. embargo on the island.

"Some countries are also expected to push for Cuba to be readmitted to the OAS, from which it was expelled in 1962 at the height of the Cold War.

"… Insulza cautioned that the OAS's democracy clause remained an obstacle to the push to readmit Cuba, a one-party state…

"We need to know if Cuba is interested in returning to multilateral organizations or if it is thinking only about the end of the embargo and economic growth," Insulza said.

"This is a summit of countries with good will but good will alone is not enough to cause change."

"’All 34 leaders at the Summit, from which Cuba is barred, are from democratic countries,’ said Insulza, a former Chilean foreign minister.

"’The general assembly of the OAS decided that all member countries must adhere to democratic principles,’ he said when asked about Cuba.

"But Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, one of Washington's fiercest critics, has already said he would seek to put Cuba at the center of the summit debates.

Insulza informed O’Globo that Cuba’s return to the organization does not only depend on the Americas Summit, but on the OAS General Assembly.

The OAS has a history that contains all the garbage of 60 years of betrayal of the peoples of Latin America.

Insulza is stating that, in order to enter the OAS, Cuba first has to be accepted by the institution. He knows that we do not even wish to hear the infamous name of that institution. It has not provided one single service to our peoples; it is the embodiment of betrayal. If all the aggressive actions in which it was complicit were added up, they would amount to hundreds of thousands of deaths and accumulate dozens of bloody years. Its meeting will be a battleground that will put many governments in an embarrassing situation. Let it not be said, however, that Cuba threw the first stone. Moreover, the supposition that we are desirous of entry into the OAS is offensive to us. The train passed by a while back and Insulza has been informed of that yet. Someday, many countries will be asking forgiveness for having belonged to it.

Evo spoke at midday today. He has not as yet given his last word on his attendance at the ALBA meeting and that of the Americas Summit. He gained a clear and decisive victory.

However, he did accept the reduction to seven of the number of seats assigned to the indigenous peoples, from the 14 that he had proposed. The adversary will no doubt try to exploit that point in its intrigues against the Movement Toward Socialism, banking on wearing it down.

The MAS will have to fight hard to ensure the biometric electoral register and an alternative if the oligarchy manages to draw out the manufacture of the new register. His hunger strike was a brave and daring decision and the Bolivian people gained much in awareness.

Now the center of attention is focused on the Americas Summit. It will be a privilege to know what is said there; it will be a test of intelligence and shame. We shall not be going down on our knees to the OAS in order to enter the infamy.

Fidel Castro Ruz
April 14, 2009
4:43 p.m.

Translated by Granma International"
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2009/april/mier15/16Reflex8.html

[EFerrari]

1. I think this:

"The MAS will have to fight hard to ensure the biometric electoral register and an alternative if the oligarchy manages to draw out the manufacture of the new register."

is meant to say: The MAS will have to fight hard to secure the biometric voter ID registry (against manipulation) and an alternative to that system if the oligarchy manages to compromise the development of that database.

(Is the Spanish available? Mr. Castro has zeroed in precisely on the problem with mandatory voter ID. )

[magbana]

3. in spanish

Many of these translations get screwed up and Fidel is produce these things like he's on steroids. Let us know what you think after reading this.
magbana

"Reflexiones del compañero Fidel
¿Tiene la OEA derecho a existir?

(Tomado de CubaDebate)

Hoy hablé con franqueza de las atrocidades cometidas contra los pueblos de América Latina. Los del Caribe ni siquiera eran independientes cuando la Revolución Cubana triunfó. Precisamente el día 19, en que finaliza la Cumbre de las Américas, se cumplirán 48 años de la victoria de Cuba en Girón. Fui cuidadoso con la OEA; no dije una sola palabra que pudiera interpretarse como una ofensa a la vetusta institución, aunque todos conocen cuánta repugnancia nos produce.

Un cable bastante hostil de la agencia británica Reuters afirma que “‘Cuba debe expresar claramente su compromiso con la democracia si quiere regresar a la OEA, como demanda un creciente grupo de gobiernos latinoamericanos’, dijo Insulza en una entrevista al diario brasileño O’Globo.

“El presidente estadounidense, Barack Obama, está revisando la vieja política de aislamiento hacia la isla comunista antes de la Cumbre de las Américas de este fin de semana, donde está previsto que líderes latinoamericanos presionen por el levantamiento del embargo estadounidense sobre Cuba, vigente desde 1962.

“Algunos países también tienen previsto pedir el reingreso de Cuba a la OEA, después de su suspensión en 1962 en plena guerra fría.

“Insulza advirtió que ‘la cláusula democrática de la OEA se mantiene como un obstáculo dentro de las exigencias para permitir el reingreso de Cuba, un Estado unipartidista’.

“‘Necesitamos saber si Cuba está interesada en volver a los organismos multilaterales o si sólo está pensando en el fin del embargo y el crecimiento económico’.

“‘Esta es una Cumbre de países con buena voluntad, pero la buena voluntad no es suficiente para provocar el cambio’, agregó.

“‘Los 34 líderes que asistirán a la Cumbre, en la cual Cuba no puede participar, son países democráticos’, señaló Insulza, ex ministro de Relaciones Exteriores chileno.

“‘La Asamblea General de la OEA decidió que todos los países miembros deben adherirse a los principios democráticos’, declaró Insulza a O’Globo cuando le preguntaron sobre Cuba.

“Pero el presidente venezolano, Hugo Chávez, un fuerte crítico de Washington, ya anunció que intentará colocar el tema de Cuba en el centro del debate de la Cumbre.

“‘El regreso de Cuba al organismo no sólo depende de la Cumbre de las Américas, sino de la Asamblea General de la OEA’, dijo Insulza a O’Globo.”

La OEA tiene una historia que recoge toda la basura de 60 años de traición a los pueblos de América Latina.

Insulza afirma que para entrar en la OEA, Cuba tiene primero que ser aceptada por la institución. Él sabe que nosotros no queremos ni siquiera escuchar el infame nombre de esa institución. No ha prestado un solo servicio a nuestros pueblos; es la encarnación de la traición. Si se suman todas las acciones agresivas de las que fue cómplice, estas alcanzan cientos de miles de vidas y acumulan decenas de años sangrientos. Su reunión será un campo de batalla, que pondrá en situación embarazosa a muchos gobiernos. Que no se diga, sin embargo, que Cuba lanzó la primera piedra. Nos ofende incluso, al suponer que estamos deseosos de ingresar en la OEA. El tren ha pasado hace rato, e Insulza no se ha enterado todavía. Algún día muchos países pedirán perdón por haber pertenecido a ella.

Evo habló al mediodía de hoy. No ha dicho todavía la última palabra sobre su asistencia o no a la reunión del ALBA y a la Cumbre de las Américas. Obtuvo una clara y contundente victoria.

Aceptó, sin embargo, la reducción a 7 del número de escaños asignados a los pueblos indígenas, de 14 que había propuesto. El adversario, con seguridad, tratará de explotar ese punto para sus intrigas contra el Movimiento al Socialismo, apostando al desgaste.

El MAS tendrá que luchar duro para asegurar el padrón electoral biométrico y una alternativa si la oligarquía logra dilatar la confección del nuevo padrón. Su huelga de hambre fue una decisión valiente y audaz, y el pueblo de Bolivia ganó mucho en conciencia.

Ahora el centro de la atención se concentra en la Cumbre de las Américas. Significará un privilegio conocer lo que allí se diga; será un test de inteligencia y vergüenza. No le pediremos de rodillas a la OEA ingresar en la infamia.

Fidel Castro Ruz
Abril 14 de 2009"
http://www.granma.cu/espanol/2009/abril/mier15/tienelaoea.html

[EFerrari]

5. Thank you! Boy, he can write!

:)

[rabs]

2. Fidel enunciates what many Latam observers have said over the years about the OAS

Cannot remember any meaningful accomplishment by the OAS in many, many years. It morphed years ago into a social and cocktail-party club of third-tier, so-called diplomats in Washington.

One thing the OAS did NOT do recently was condemn the Colombian attack on Ecuadoran territory in March of 2008. Suspect the OAS was pressured by the Uribe-loving bushistas to NOT issue a condemnation. Instead the OAS issued a watered-down "rejection" of an attack by a OAS member on another OAS member. That was weak.

Have been disappointed in Insulza but since he lost out on the possibility of replacing Michelle Bachelet as president next year, he seem to be hanging on as OAS leader and defending his turf. Many (most?) of today's Latam leaders will be siding more with Cuba than with Insulza, you can bank on that.

Magb, I read the Spanish version last night and now notice Granma translated "infame" correctly as "infamous." Reuters (I think) on LBN translated it as "vile," which to me is incorrect (in the context "infame" was used) and more inflammatory.

But Granma did miss a word:

"The train passed by a while back and Insulza has been informed of that yet."

It should say "... and Insulza has NOT been informed of that yet."

Thanks for posting in English what Fidel said.

[magbana]

4. Thanks, rabs, for looking over these things careffully. A difference

in a word here and there and we got another Cuban missile crisis! ha!

[Judi Lynn]

6. First time I've heard MAS has to accept 7 seats, rather than the original 14.

Hope that can be adjusted, in time.

Thanks for posting this.

This guy REALLY does stay right on top of everything. Amazing.