Dominican Republic still awaits OAS mea culpa for military invasion

DominicanRepublic still awaits OAS mea culpa for military invasion

Santo Domingo.- Organization of American States’ (OAS) secretarygeneral Luis Almagro on Sunday declined a response when asked if thehemispheric entity would formally apologize to the Dominican Republic for itsrubber-stamping the 1965 military occupation by US troops during the Revolutionthat year.

Instead Almagro deflected the question and as he handed themicrophone over to Dominican Republic Foreign minister Andres Navarro, said “thatwill be up to the Dominican Foreign minister in the final declaration of the Assembly.”

Several sectors headed by newspaper El Dia editor-in-chief RafaelMolina Morillo have demanded a “historical” reparation from the OAS for its approvalof the US-led military occupation, which cost the lives of hundreds of Dominicans.

Venezuela crisis

In the venues of the talks in the OAS’ annual assemblywhich starts today in the Dominican Republic capital Santo Domingo, Almagro alsoreferred to the political and economic crisis gripping Venezuela. He said theOAS will stick with its agenda to hold a meeting on June 23, as scheduled, andnot in the assembly from June 13 to 15.

Almagro said is inclusion was “impossible and unnecessary,”citing time and logistics constraints.

In a press conference accompanied by Navarro, Almagrostressed “institutional strengthening and sustainable development” as the mainfocus of the yearly conclave, but noted technical assistance and humanitarianaid as the OAS’ potential contribution to help defuse the months-long turmoil inVenezuela.