The Organization, first led by Colombian Alberto Lleras Camargo, was created "to achieve an order of peace and justice, to promote their solidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and to defend their sovereignty, their territorial integrity, and their independence".

In the buildup to that meeting Argentinian President Arturo Frondizi outlined his reservations to Washington's plans, stating that the U.S. was "obsessed with Cuba at the expense of the needs of the hemisphere" and that retaliation against the island would only strengthen Fidel Castro.

[1] On 21 January 1962, the OAS held the Eighth Meeting of Consultation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

The United States had encouraged Central American representatives to advocate a hard line against Cuba, and to walk out if sanctions were not tabled.

In his key speech to the organization, Dean Rusk stated that Cuba's alignment with the Sino-Soviet block was incompatible with the inter-American system, and such measures were imperative.

The operative part of the resolution read as follows: This means that the Cuban nation was still technically a member state, but that the current government was denied the right of representation and attendance at meetings and of participation in activities.

The United States, for example, worked with PAHO on its Alliance for Progress initiative through the OAS, which focused on building economic cooperation between North and South America.

[9] The reincorporation of Cuba as an active member regularly arose as a topic within the inter-American system (e.g., it was intimated by the outgoing ambassador of Mexico in 1998)[10] but most observers did not see it as a serious possibility while the present government remained in power.

In its resolution (AG/RES 2438), the General Assembly decided that: The United States had been urging for weeks that the OAS base Cuba's readmission to the hemispheric group on prerequisites of democratic principles and a commitment to human rights; after the vote was announced, it was pleased with the results.

[16] As recently as January 2014 Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has said that "Cuba’s position in relation to the OAS remains unchanged, we will not return to it".

[17] Although the member states of the OAS have taken steps as detailed above, which advocated for Cuba's reintegration into the OAS, the organization has not taken similar steps, with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issuing reports criticizing Cuba's human rights record, highlighting restrictions on political freedoms, judicial independence, free expression, and more.