Foreign Policy Blogs

Reinstatement of Cuba in the Organization of American States

Cuba is the only independent country in the Western Hemisphere that is excluded from the Organization of American States (OAS), having been suspended from participation in 1962 under a decision that declared the Cuban Marxist-Leninist system of governance incompatible with the inter-American system.

This week, for the first time, OAS Secretary General Miguel Insulza openly advocated the reinstatement of Cuba to the group. In a conversation with journalists, he pointed out that the United States has diplomatic relations with every other country in the hemisphere. Those countries, he noted, as members of the OAS, would await a “signal” from the United States on Cuba’s readmission. His own hope is that the signal will come “sooner, rather than later.”

For Spanish speakers, his statement is here.

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Author

Melissa Lockhart Fortner

Melissa Lockhart Fortner is Senior External Affairs Officer at the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles, having served previously as Senior Programs Officer for the Council. From 2007-2009, she held a research position at the University of Southern California (USC) School of International Relations, where she closely followed economic and political developments in Mexico and in Cuba, and analyzed broader Latin American trends. Her research considered the rise and relative successes of Latin American multinationals (multilatinas); economic, social and political changes in Central America since the civil wars in the region; and Wal-Mart’s role in Latin America, among other topics. Melissa is a graduate of Pomona College, and currently resides in Pasadena, California, with her husband, Jeff Fortner.

Follow her on Twitter @LockhartFortner.