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OAS Secretary General Welcomes Dialogue between Government and Ecclesiastical Authorities in Cuba

  May 21, 2010

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, expressed his hopes that the dialogue in Cuba between the government of President Raul Castro and ecclesiastical authorities on the internal Cuban situation and the fate of ill inmates who are on hunger strike will produce positive results.

Referring to the dialogue held yesterday by President Castro and Cardinal Jaime Ortega, the Secretary General said that, beyond the immediate results, “This conversation is a positive indication in a very delicate situation that has at its center the life of human beings.” He added that “there probably are humanitarian reasons that led to the decision to talk, and I hope there is a basis to hope for a solution in the Guillermo Fariñas case,” who began fasting on February 25.

Secretary General Insulza emphasized the great value of the dialogue between the government and the Catholic Church and reiterated his willingness to “collaborate with every initiative that seeks to bring closer the positions of the government and some sectors of Cuban society, to open a process where various points of view can coexist.”

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org

Reference: E-191/10