In an act of belabored consensus, the Organization of American States (OAS) agreed Wednesday to allow Cuba to rejoin the hemispheric organization, reversing a 1962 policy that barred the island nation from the OAS.

The decision marks the “end of the Cold War,” according to Honduran President Mel Zelaya, whose country hosted the OAS summit. Zelaya called the decision a “wise rectification” on the part of the OAS and a historic recognition of the 1959 Cuban Revolution and “all those who have fought for transformation.”

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas Shannon called the decision “historic” and an important step toward strengthening the OAS and its “capacity to work toward consensus.”

In a conference call Wednesday, Shannon said the decision to invite Cuba to rejoin the OAS was not a slight to the U.S. government and its position that Cuba should demonstrate progress in the areas of human rights and democratic rule before being allowed to renew its membership.

“The lifting of the 1962 suspension does not mark the automatic return of Cuba to the organization,” Shannon said. “…The resolution makes very clear that the process requires …that (Cuba) must be in accordance with the practices, purposes and principles of the OAS (which include democracy, self-determination, non-interference, human rights, development and security).”

As late as Tuesday evening, the possibility of reaching consensus on the issue of Cuba's readmission appeared distant. U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton left the meeting Tuesday evening, and at a U.S. press briefing shortly before the OAS announcement Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley said, “ the effort to reach consensus was blocked last night by a small number of countries, principally Venezuela, Nicaragua and Honduras.” 

He added, “it appears that the assembly lacks the critical mass of foreign ministers necessary to proceed on this question.”

No sooner did Crowley finish his press briefing than the OAS announced its new policy toward Cuba.

Several country delegates at the OAS General Assembly attributed the move to a new spirit of dialogue between the United States and its fiercest critic in the region, the Venezuelan-inspired Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), a club made up of Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Speaking on behalf of ALBA, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, one of the only presidents to attend Wednesday's ministerial-level meeting, said, “We are satisfied with the results and hope the next step will be to suspend the (U.S.) embargo on Cuba.”

Ortega called the historic decision a “vindication” of the OAS and a “small light” of hope for change ahead. On Tuesday, before the resolution, Ortega repeated his criticism of the OAS, calling it an instrument of the United States.

See the June 5 print or PDF edition of The Tico Times for more on this story.

The Central American airline Taca announced Wednesday that it will be reducing its corporate fares in light of current economic turbulence.

Responding to an increase in the number of open seats, the airline decided to reduce prices, according to a statement to the press. From January to April 2009, the airline had 13 percent fewer passengers overall, with 18 percent fewer passengers flying for business-related trips.

Business people boarding Taca in Costa Rica will now be able to receive discounts of up to 35 percent under the new rates, with increased discounts for major routes within Central America.

In addition to the reduced fees, Taca has also restructured its first class section. Under a new design, passengers can now expect even more leg room than a first class seat normally allows, and larger pillows too. Heated leather seats will be newly available to economy-class flyers, the statement said.

NatureAir, a Costa Rican company that flies routes primarily within Costa Rica, has experienced similar increases in open seats – close to 15 percent – since the beginning of the year, said Alexi Khajavi, the commercial director of NatureAir.

As tourist numbers drop, so does the number of travelers willing to splurge for a flight to the coast or into the mountains. NatureAir has started a campaign to work with car rental companies, offering tandem deals to try and attract tourists to invest in both industries.

The move by Taca also points to an increase in corporate frugality, as companies seem to be cutting back on expenses and authorizing fewer trips.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua – As the World Health Organization considers declaring Influenza A(H1N1) a world pandemic, the Sandinista government has reported the first five cases of the virus detected in Nicaragua.

The first case, a young girl, was reported here May 1. Authorities have quarantined the patient in a hospital in Managua to contain the spread of the virus. More than a dozen other suspected cases have been tested. Of those, the Health Ministry reported Wednesday afternoon that four more cases have been confirmed.

The government of President Daniel Ortega responded quickly to the first reports of swine flu in April. The government put the entire country on health alert, mobilized party groups and state medics to visit towns and educate people about precautionary measures, and secured its borders.

At the Augusto C. Sandino International Airport in Managua, health workers surveyed all arriving guests and measured the temperature of everyone entering the country by “photographing” them with a thermal camera to detect fever. As a result of the government's early efforts, Nicaragua was the last country in Central America to register any cases of swine flu, becoming – as one European diplomat put it recently – “an island in the region.”

Health officials are now working to isolate the detected cases to keep the virus from spreading in Nicaragua.

Worldwide, the virus has caused 19,273 cases of infection in 66 countries, resulting in 117 deaths.

Central and South: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, front right, with Costa Rica's Oscar Arias Wednesday during Lula's first official visit to this country, during which the two leaders discussed strengthening a trade alliance between their countries.

Ronald Reyes | Tico Times

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva landed in Costa Rica earlier this week in hopes of forging economic alliances with the small Central American country.

It's the first time that any Brazilian president has visited Costa Rica in recent memory. “Since the emperor,” Lula joked at a press conference with President Oscar Arias on Wednesday.

He said that “in this global world we have to come together” economically. Economic cooperation has been the theme of his tour, which began in El Salvador on Monday, travelled to Guatemala on Tuesday and ended in Costa Rica on Wednesday.

“These visits mark the vast potential of opportunities that will open with our relationship, in a wide range of sectors, including trade, investment and technical cooperation,” said Lula.

Hoping to be at the forefront of trade negotiations with Central America, Arias promoted his country as a bridge to commercial relations with the other small nations that line the isthmus.

“Of the countries in Central America, Costa Rica offers major advantages,” said Arias, making his pitch. “We have one of the oldest democracies in the region, we are politically stable and (we provide) a law that gives investors security…We are a country that is attractive for Brazilian investment.”

In the next six months, the two countries will work with the Central American Integration System and the Southern Cone Common Market to facilitate increased trade.

Arias said a trade imbalance exists between Central America and Brazil, because of higher tariffs in the South American nation, a factor he said needs to be considered as trade negotiations proceed.

Lula expressed interest in an economic exchange with Costa Rica that would resemble the outsourcing system established in developing countries by multinational corporations.

Lula said, “One way to balance trade between large countries and smaller ones is for a nation like Brazil to come to Costa Rica to produce and re-export (those products) to Brazil. That is what we are doing with Venezuela and what we (should) do with Costa Rica.”