US rep not elected to OAS rights commission

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Havana. June 11,  2003



U.S. excluded from OAS Human
Rights Commission

SANTIAGO DE CHILE.? For the first time in the history of the
Organization of American States (OAS), the United States has been left
out of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which
has just ended its 23rd General Assembly here.

PL comments that George Bush?s government unsuccessfully promoted
Cuban-American Rafael Martínez, brother of current U.S. secretary for
Housing and Urban Development Mel Martínez, for a position in that
agency.

However, Washington?s nominee only received 15 out of 33 possible
votes; his failure marks the first time that the IACHR has worked
without a U.S. representative, informed OAS officials.

The 33 participating countries elected lawyers from Brazil, El
Salvador, Paraguay and Venezuela.

Guatemalan Marta Altolaguirre, who has presided over the panel to
date, was not re-elected, nor was Argentine lawyer Juan Méndez. Both
have traditionally received Washington?s support.