Cuba on Tuesday officially became a member of the Permanent Mechanism of Political Consultation and Coordination of Latin America, better known as the Rio Group, the sole mechanism of political consultation in the region.

In its extraordinary meeting held Tuesday at Sauipe Coast, a seaside resort in northeastern Brazil, the Rio Group made official the entry of the island country, on the sidelines of the first Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean (CALC), which is to conclude Wednesday.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez praised the incorporation of Cuba in the Rio Group, saying that "Cuba is essentially the heart and the dignity of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean...Cuba always should have been returned to its place. Now we are complete, we are assembling a good team."

He noted that all Latin American integration schemes, such as the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), the Andean Community, the Caribbean Community and the Central American Integration System "are welcoming Cuba, with open arms."

Cuba was expelled from the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1962, on the grounds that its political system was "incompatible" with the inter-American system. That was a decision driven by the United States, whose government had imposed a political and economic blockade on Cuba.

For years, several member countries of the Rio Group had reiterated their willingness to let Cuba enter as a governmental entity, considering it necessary to complete the group.

In November this year, in the Mexican city of Zacatecas, the 27th Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Rio Group agreed to grant Cuba the category of full membership.

Cuba's entry to the forum is interpreted as a triumph of Cuban diplomacy, as well as of countries such as Venezuela, which had been proposing its inclusion, and Mexico, which held the temporary presidency of the group when the decision was taken.

The group was formed on Dec. 18, 1986, by the Declaration of Rio de Janeiro signed by Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, to help end armed conflict in Central America.

The group holds an annual meeting that brings together heads of state and government and foreign ministers. Panel decisions are adopted by consensus among its members. During the Cold War, it was considered an alternative to the OAS, which was dominated by the United States.

At the end of the summit, Cuban President Raul Castro will pay an official visit to Brazil to further boost bilateral ties.

(Xinhua News Agency December 17, 2008)