The World - News from May 27, 1988

Panama and Cuba, both targets of U.S. economic sanctions, as well as Colombia won three-year terms to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, the major U.N. organization working to promote and protect human rights. Western diplomats said the election of Cuba, which has been accused by the United States of widespread human rights violations, had been expected because of its strong standing in the Nonaligned Movement. But they said Panama’s selection appeared to be a strong sympathy vote for that government and a show of anger over U.S. sanctions and failed efforts to oust strongman Manuel A. Noriega. Panama defeated Costa Rica in a runoff for one of the three Latin American seats on the 43-member commission.