Foreign ministers and ambassadors are clarifying the terms of the agreement Foreign ministers of the Organization of American States have voted to lift Cuba's suspension, apparently paving the way for it to rejoin the group. Cuba was suspended from the 34-member OAS in 1962 over its "incompatible" adherence to Marxism-Leninism. The US secretary of state, who left Honduras before the vote, had urged democratic reforms as a condition. The move came hours after former president Fidel Castro again said Cuba had no interest in rejoining the OAS. Ecuador's Foreign Minister, Fander Falconi, said the decision was made "without conditions" but that it set mechanisms for Cuba's return including its agreement to comply with OAS conventions on human rights and other issues. Clarifying terms The group's foreign ministers and ambassadors, who met in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, were expected to clarify the terms of their agreement in the coming hours. Immediately following the announcement, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said: "The Cold War has ended this day in San Pedro Sula." The news came as former Cuban leader Fidel Castro reiterated that Cuba had no desire to rejoin. Cuba was suspended three years after Fidel Castro's revolution Writing in state newspapers on Wednesday, he said the OAS should not exist and historically had "opened the doors to the Trojan horse" of the US to "wreak havoc in Latin America". US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton left Honduras before the final vote, saying the organisation had been unable to reach consensus on Cuba. While the US looked forward to Cuba rejoining the group eventually, she said on the first day of the summit, "membership in the OAS must come with responsibilities". "It's not about reliving the past," she added. "It's about the future and being true to the founding principles of this organisation." Many Latin American countries have pushed to readmit Cuba without preconditions, but the US wants Havana to undertake democratic reforms as a condition of re-admission. Since taking office, President Barack Obama has sought to ease tension between the US and Cuba, including ending restrictions on Cuban-Americans visiting and sending money to relatives. Washington and Havana have also agreed to resume regular talks on migration issues.
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News outlets are reporting that the Organization of American States (OAS) has voted to rescind the 1962 suspension of Cuba.  The Washington D.C. based organization had suspended the island nation in 1962, three years after Fidel Castro led the successful overthrow of the U.S. backed Batista government. At the time, the organization cited the incompatibility of Cuba's Marxist-Leninist doctrine with its own charter.

Since Cuba's suspension the U.S. government has stated that any lifting of the ban would depend upon both developments of personal freedoms and democratic reforms on the island.  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had stated at the OAS meeting that "membership in the OAS must come with responsibilities;" however, the U.S. delegation left before the final vote citing the inability of the organization to reach an agreement on the issue of Cuba.  

Many Latin American governments, most of whom have long since called for the lifting of the Cuban suspension without precondition, have applauded the vote. Honduran President Zelaya declared that "the cold war has ended," while the Ecuadorian Foreign Minister, Fander Falconí, stated that "this is a moment of rejoicing for all of Latin America."  Falconí was careful to clarify that although the vote itself was voted upon "without conditions," it was not an open invitation to the Cuban government to take a seat at the organization.  The vote removes the ban upon Cuba's membership, but OAS member states must still satisfy OAS requirements and conventions on human rights.

U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood said that the United States had worked to ensure "the return of Cuba to participation in the OAS will be done consistent with the principles and purposes of the democracy and human rights."