The two candidates for general secretary of the OAS present their positions to direct the agency

The Foreign Ministers of Paraguay, Rubén Darío Ramírez Lezcano, and Surinam, Albert Ramchand Ramdin, appeared before the Organization of American States (OAS) to promote their candidates for secretary general of the agency and replace Luis Almagro, who culminates His mandate next May 25.

The member countries listened to the proposals and initiatives of each candidate to direct the agency during the period from 2025 to 2030 ”and posterioment could ask questions.

The interim representative of the United States before the OAS, Thomas Hastings, asked how the agency should relate to countries that systematically ignore or abuse the principles enshrined in the Inter -American Democratic Charter, giving as an example to Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua .

The Southinames candidate simply said that the democratic Charter makes clear the role of the Secretary General, «who has the opportunity to carry out fact investigation missions and inform the Permanent Council.»

“I think that countries will facilitate that process, then we should certainly do it. But this requires commitment, and that many things have gone wrong in the aforementioned examples, ”said Foreign Minister Ramdin.

For his part, the Paraguayan candidate said that you have to work so that Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua return to the democratic system.

«The situations of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua have to work intensely to return to the democratic system and have respected and respectable governments,» Foreign Minister Ramírez Lezcano said.

He also added that from the Secretariat they were going to «work on the construction of consensus in the dialogue and negotiation to understand the positions of the different countries.»

Foreign Minister Ramírez Lezcano, 59, assumed the Headquarters of Paraguayan diplomacy for the second time in August 2023. He had previously held the position during the mandate of President Nicanor Duarte, between 2006 and 2008.

For his part, Ramdin has experience within the hemispheric organism in Washington. He held the position of deputy general secretary from 2005 to 2015 during the mandates of the Chilean José Miguel Insulza in the OAS.

The OAS, which is made up of 35 countries of the American and the Caribbean contine mandate.

At present, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela have no representation in the hemispheric organization. European countries participate as observer members.