Servant of Washington heads OAS

Percy Godoy

The recent election of Miguel Angel Rodriguez Echeverrma, former 
president of Costa Rica (1998-2002), as the incoming secretary of 
the Organisation of American States (OAS) within the framework of 
the 34th General Assembly of that body, leaves no doubt as to the 
potential new dangers for Cuba. For decades Costa Rica has played 
a role in the anti-Cuba campaign implemented by US Governments 
and aimed at isolating Cuba on an international scale.

Rodriguez' proven opposition to the Cuban Revolution makes him a 
docile pawn for engaging in such a questionable role.

Since his ascent to the presidency in Costa Rica in 1998, 
Rodriguez has unconditionally lent himself to any attempt to 
attack Cuba, borrowing the political discourse used by the 
principal enemies of the Revolution. On more than one occasion, 
he has employed the hackneyed and false arguments of an alleged 
lack of democracy on the island and flimsy charges of human 
rights violations on the part of the Cuban Government.

The new secretary general of the OAS wasted no time, announcing 
that Cuba's readmission into the OAS will depend on whether 
democratic changes are carried out on the island. This move, by a 
politician linked to the Social Christian Unity Party and who 
supported campaigns in favour of internal counter-revolution on 
the island, come as no surprise to Cuba. Cuba has been excluded 
from the OAS since 1962 for supporting liberation movements 
throughout the continent.

Cuba, of course, has not needed this servile organisation for 
more than 40 years and has withstood the constant accusations 
that have come from it. The announcement of the Rodriguez 
appointment caused hysterical revelry amongst representatives of 
Miami's counter-revolutionary mafia.

One of their spokesmen, Ricardo Bofill, referred to discussions 
in their frequent meetings with the new head, telling the Cuban-
American National Foundation (CANF) magazine Cuban Contact: "Most 
especially, during these talks, Miguel Angel Rodriguez has 
assured us that, from his position within the OAS, he will devote 
tremendous efforts to promoting specific solidarity projects 
within the hemisphere for movements representing independent 
civilian society, human rights, civic resistance to oppression 
and other demonstrations of Cuban dissidence."

Rodriguez' support for representatives of the Cuban counter-
revolution is nothing new. In January 1999, he was visited in San 
Josi by representatives from CANF who suggested that he stage a 
publicity show during the 9th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of 
State and Government in Havana in November of that year.

Without any objection, this individual joined this campaign along 
with Arnoldo Aleman, former Nicaraguan President, and Carlos 
Menem, then President of the Argentine Republic, in order to 
sabotage the event.

Rodriguez wanted to force the revolutionary authorities to afford 
an unacceptable amount of space to the Cuban counter-revolution, 
openly and intolerably interfering in the island's internal 
affairs. Following the dignified refusal of the Cuban Government, 
he and Washington's other puppets (and buddies of the Miami 
mafia) refused to attend the Summit.

Attempt to isolate Cuba

In the same way, during his presidency Rodriguez used his 
country's government to push forward the ideological anti-Cuba 
campaign aimed at isolating the island at international level. 
During the Human Rights Commission sessions in Geneva, he was the 
most docile and servile pawn that Washington ever employed.

His interest in ingratiating himself with the ultra-right mafia 
in Miami over the issue of Cuba has not waned since his 
presidency came to an end. In July 2003, he took part in a 
seminar entitled "Towards Democracy in Cuba", held in Madrid at 
the official request of Josi Marma Aznar and his Analysis and 
Social Studies Foundation.

On that occasion, he met up with Washington's servants within the 
European Union — namely Aznar himself, Foreign Minister Ana 
Palacios and the Spanish Popular Party, as well as the famous 
anti-communist, Vaclav Havel, former president of the Czech 
Republic, in a sordid encounter with other ultra-conservatives 
such as the shady Dutch NGO, Pax Christi.

They spent their time looking for ways of "designing" democratic 
change in Cuba and subsidising the destabilising activities of 
the tiny counter-revolutionary groups on the island.

Rodriguez stated on that occasion: "The Cuban people are not 
alone and cannot be left as such to face oppression". Behind the 
scenes, he received congratulations from the sinister Otto Reich, 
who was in Madrid at that time to deliver Bush's directions to 
his puppets.

Some months earlier, on January 29, 2003, Rodriguez also took 
part in the Madrid Forum 2003: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba 
and Venezuela, an event attended by representatives of the Cuban 
counter-revolution. This was another occasion on which the newly-
appointed general secretary of the OAS launched unfounded attacks 
on Cuba.

Currently resident in the United States, Rodriguez knew then that 
the way to the post of OAS general secretary was clear after this 
sanctification by Washington. For this reason, he hastily 
declared: "This support helps to ensure that my candidature is 
one of consensus, of obtaining support from the whole of the 
Americas in order to work to strengthen the Organisation of 
American States".

However, the Cuban people are ready to confront this new 
manoeuvre. Their slogan from the 1960s remains valid: "With or 
without the OAS, we will win the fight".

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Granma