“The cold war ended today”

Though one of its more useless organs is still functioning… barely.

The Cold War ended today. Fidel Castro said more than 40 years ago that history would absolve him, and history absolved him.

Manuel Zeleya, President of Honduras on the end of the 47-year old ban on Cuban membership in the Organization of American States.

In a concession to the United States, language specifiying that Cuba had to honor the “democratic principles” of the OAS… presumably referring to Article I of the OAS Charter, which calls on member states to “preserve and defend” democracy… like those other bastions of freedom —  Chile during the Pinochet Dictatorship, Guatemala during the reign of the genocidal religious fanatic Efraín Ríos Montt, Haiti during the Papa (and Baby) Doc era, Argentina during the “state of exception”, etc.

Cuba, which takes the Organization of American States no more seriously than anyone else outside of a few Washington inside-the-beltway types (and maybe Andres Oppenheimer of the Miami Herald ) essentially, “thanks, but no thanks.”

(Everybody who writes on Latin America sooner or later has to deal with Oppenheimer.  He is worth reading for a simple reason.  He’s an excellent guide to the more reactionary thinking within U.S. political circles (and opposition research usually repays itself) and — with a batting average somewhere below the Mendoza Line for his prognostications,  you can usually take what he says, bet the opposite and come out ahead. — end of snark).

Although there were organizations — set up to foster U.S. trade with Latin America — prior to 1948, the OAS Charter was founded on a “a pledge by members to fight communism in America.”  But, as  Cuban Ambassador to Paraguay, Hector Igarza, was quoted in the Miami Herald as saying:

A truly authentic organization would be one where Latin Americans and Caribbeans could discuss, debate and look for solutions to their problems without intrusion from external actors…

Which sounds slightly more diplomatic than the Diaz-Bartlett brothers:

The OAS is a putrid embarrassment,” declared U.S. Reps. Mario and Lincoln Diaz-Balart, both Miami Republicans, in a joint statement.

Which means… batshit crazy right-wing exiles and  Commies alike agree on one thing… Oppenheimer doesn’t know shit, and the OAS, like Francisco Franco, is still dead.