Asunción, June 5 (RHC) -- Nicaragua denounced on Wednesday Cuba's exclusion from the Organization of American States (OAS), saying that holding another Summit of the Americas without the Caribbean island's presence was impossible.
The remarks were made during a plenary session of the regional block held Wednesday in the Paraguayan capital, Asunción.
Denis Moncada, Nicaraguan permanent representative at the OAS, highlighted there was no mention of Cuba in the final resolutions issued by the the OAS Permanent Commission, even though his country introduced the subject in a document submitted to the commission prior to the meeting.
“Cuba must be invited to attend the 2015 Summit of the Americas, with full sovereignty and without pre-conditions, said Moncada, and added that this proposition was included by Nicaragua in three resolutions discussed by the Permanent Commission.
Following Nicaragua's decry, Paraguay's Foreign Minister Eladio Loizaga, who presided over the plenary session, said all resolutions submitted to the Permanent Commission had been approved, including those by Nicaragua.
Meanwhile, the U.S. delegation attending the meeting rejected Nicaragua's proposal, presenting Cuba's alleged lack of democratic rights as impediment for its participation in the regional meeting.
Opposing the U.S. statement, Argentinean Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said his country will support Cuba's attendance at the Summit of the Americas, to take place in Panama next year.
According to diplomatic sources in Asunción, the Cuban matter will be discussed further in an organizational meeting prior to the OAS Summit, where Washington's stubborn and outdated stance will face strong opposition in an increasingly progressive and independent Latin America.