The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Miami Herald all have stories this morning about yesterday afternoon’s decision at the OAS general assembly to readmit Cuba to the inter-American body. Yesterday I wrote that reaching consensus on the matter seemed unlikely at the meeting, but it seems yesterday’s reports spoke to soon. The WaPo leads off coverage saying the U.S. government “acquiesced” to the demands of its Latin American neighbors. In the end, the language of the resolution removed a 1962 ban on the country that cited its membership in the communist bloc, but said Cuba could reenter only after ensuring it was “in conformity with the practices, purposes and principles of the OAS.” The paper points out that this language is more vague than the wording originally supported by the U.S. which emphasized “democratic principles.” Indeed, Ecuador took the language to mean Cuba can return with no “conditions,” writes the WSJ. However, White House NSC staffer for Western Hemisphere affairs, Dan Restrepo, said “the language was stronger than it might appear, because the preamble clearly included democracy and respect for human rights as fundamental OAS principles.” Voicing the opinion of some Latin American leaders, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya declared after the vote that, “The Cold War ended today. Fidel Castro said more than 40 years ago that history would absolve him, and history absolved him.” Meanwhile, as the MH emphasizes, Wednesday’s decision is already setting off an outcry amongst anti-Castro legislators in the U.S. “The OAS is a putrid embarrassment,” declared U.S. Reps. Mario and Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) in a joint statement while also threatening to cut of U.S. funding for the organizations. And, there still remain doubts about whether or not Cuba even wants to return to the OAS. As the MH notes, the Paraguayan media yesterday quoted the Cuban ambassador, Héctor Igarza, as saying the nation has no intention of returning.
In the LA Times this morning, there’s a report on drugs and violence in Guatemala. The paper writes that Mexican drug gangs are increasingly moving their operations across the southern border and into Guatemala where “weak law enforcement and deep-rooted corruption provide fertile ground.” After raiding a drug hide out a half an hour from Guatemala City and controlled by the Zetas drug hit men, a cache of weapons was recently found. Among the arms left behind, officials found 11 M-60 machine guns, eight Claymore mines, a Chinese-made antitank rocket, more than 500 grenades, commando uniforms, bulletproof vests and thousands of rounds of ammunition—what Mexican police officials say were “preparations for war.” More than 6000 were killed in Guatemala in 2008, most in drug-related incidents, say police. And these numbers have U.S. officials worried that powerful drug gangs could “imperil fragile Guatemala” as well as its neighbor, Honduras. However, given Guatemala’s bloody past, the LAT writes that it is “politically dicey for Guatemalan leaders to respond by mobilizing the military,” as is now being done in Mexico.
And from the New York Times, a Reuters report looks at the takeover of TV station Panamericana by the Peruvian government, as mentioned in the midweek review yesterday. The station is one of Peruvian’s largest and the government of Alan Garcia has become the target of intense opposition protest because of the move. Garcia defended his actions saying the company owed $39 million in back taxes. He also insisted that press freedoms would be preserved. According to Reuters, Panamericana Televisión “does not take a particularly hard stance against Mr. García’s government, but opposition politicians contend that the seizure was a sign that Mr. García wanted to control the news media.”
In other news, the LAT has a second report on Mexico and possible police corruption or foul play. The paper writes that 47 were questioned Wednesday about the disappearance of a customs official in the port city of Veracruz. The official disappeared from the site of what seemed to be a routine traffic stop, at which many other police officers arrived to soon after. Customs officials in the port are responsible for monitoring the smuggling of illegal drugs and other contraband into the country.
The MH reports on Haiti saying USAID will spend $155 million over the next five years on stabilizing some of Haiti's most flood-prone hillsides. However, USAID officials admit that the money is nowhere near the amount needed for Haiti to “revitalize its hillsides, fix irrigation systems, and protect its 9 million citizens from even normal rains.” Experts estimate that Haiti needs $5 billion over the next 15 years to slow the pace of deforestation, a primary cause of flooding.
Also in the MH, the AP writes that El Salvador is investigating claims by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez that an assassination plot prevented him from visiting the Central American nation for the inauguration of Mauricio Funes earlier this week. While giving no specific details of the investigation, Salvadoran Interior Minister Humberto Centeno did say that he personally does not find it “strange” that Venezuelan intelligence detected a possible plot.
Finally two Cuba-OAS opinions. The NYT says in an editorial today that the U.S. has made significant overtures to Cuba by changing travel restrictions for Cuban Americans and restarting migration talks, among others, but says “the O.A.S. must press Havana to join the democratic mainstream — and its errant members to adhere to the organization’s own democratic charter.” The MH, meanwhile, echoes these same thoughts, writing that the readmitting of Cuba, in practice, changes very little. “As long as OAS members continue to uphold and champion democratic principles, they should have no argument with the United States. The argument is with those who do not accept democracy and human rights, and they reside in Havana,” writes the paper.
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