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Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Why the OAS can't afford to be neutral on democracy in Latin America
When leaders of international organizations proclaim neutrality, it may sound statesmanlike. However, in many parts of the world not taking sides is the equivalent of siding with dictators. This is certainly true in Latin America, which is why statements from Albert Ramdin, who next week becomes Secretary General of the Washington, D.C.-based Organization of American States (OAS), are troubling especially to South Florida residents, many of whom have fled dictatorships. Ramdin feels the OAS 'must not become a force that takes sides,' when referring to the region's challenges in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, are troubling to anyone who cares about democracy, human rights and rule of law. The election of Ramdin, championed by China and member countries like Brazil, Colombia and Mexico that favor dialogue with dictators, brings a new, troubling approach to the OAS. While the new Secretary-General may try to adopt a position perceived as balanced, there seems to be confusion between ideological neutrality that avoids selectivity and clarity on the principles that the OAS is mandated to uphold. This means that contrary to what Ramdin said, the OAS not only can take sides, it must do so. The core documents of the OAS were adopted to establish the values of the multilateral framework in the hemisphere. Article 2 of the OAS Charter enshrined the promotion of democracy as a key purpose of the organization. In September 2001, the OAS adopted the Inter-American Democratic Charter, a comprehensive instrument to strengthen and protect democracy in the Americas. It established mechanisms that compel the organization to act when there is a serious alteration of the constitutional order that impairs democratic governance in a member-State. This last provision is especially important: The OAS charter only mentioned constitutional interruptions through the use of force, which doesn't reflect the modern challenge of democratic erosion and progressive autocratization by regimes that were originally democratically elected. Despite the existence of this framework, democracy faces tremendous pressure in the region, with several countries sliding into hybrid regimes with decreasing institutional quality. Favoring dialogue with dictators appears to be a sort of contestation to those efforts, under the apparent guise of a more balanced and non-selective approach. There lies the root of the problem, one that confuses evenness with a softer strategy that recognizes the tyrants. So what would an 'even' approach actually look like? Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela represent examples of authoritarian states identified with left-wing ideologies. They are the most oppressive regimes on the continent, responsible for grave and systematic human rights violations. The focus that the OAS has had on these regimes during Almagro's tenure is hardly arbitrary, but rather one that reflects the most serious and pressing challenges regarding the protection and promotion of democracy, based on the norms of the OAS. Yet, assaults on democracy are hardly exclusive to the left. The right-wing government of Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, for example, has engaged in some of the most notorious attacks on democratic institutions in the region since the rise of Ortega in Nicaragua and Chávez in Venezuela. With military coups largely a thing of the past in the Americas, the OAS must put its attention to this type of democratic erosion, serving as an early warning system that calls out member countries when they undermine democratic norms and institutions. It is in this area that Secretary-General Ramdin could find the balance that he seeks, not one that underestimates the urgency of the region's major crises, but one that is able to point out threats to democracy no matter where they emerge, in which stage they are, or who causes them. Ramdin's call to dialogue thus is a double-edged sword. While it may open channels of communication, it risks catering to the dictators and their efforts to cling to power. Member states must insist that Ramdin uphold the OAS' own norms and principles which mandate the organization, its authorities and especially its Secretary-General to take a side. That side can only be the side of democracy and human rights faced against tyranny and oppression. Ezequiel Podjarny is a legal and policy fellow at the Human Rights Foundation.
Reuters
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Suriname's Albert Ramdin elected OAS' first Caribbean secretary general
PARAMARIBO, March 10 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States (OAS) on Monday elected Surinamese Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin as its new secretary general through 2030, taking over from Uruguayan diplomat Luis Almagro and marking the body's first Caribbean leader. Ramdin, 66, has served as Surinam's top diplomat since 2020, and was previously the OAS' assistant secretary general for two terms from 2005 through 2015. He has pushed for greater efficiency in the organization and highlighted the need for it to better support Haiti, which is facing a conflict against armed gangs with limited international aid. "This is the first time in the history of the OAS that a representative from the Caribbean has been elected Secretary General," Suriname's government said in a statement. "It is a great honor for Suriname that our candidate has been supported by the vast majority of the member states." Suriname's President Chan Santokhi has praised Ramdin's "calm assurance" as a trusted advisor and adept diplomat. Suriname is located on the South American continent but has closer diplomatic ties to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). It has opposed Washington's sanctions against Venezuela and supported neighboring Guyana in a territorial dispute with Venezuela over the border region of Esequibo. Venezuela's government in 2017 said it would begin a process to leave the OAS, but the body has since recognized representatives from the country's political opposition. It currently has no representative at the Washington-based OAS. Diplomats from other CARICOM nations expressed hope that Ramdin's appointment would boost diversity and representation for smaller nations in the Caribbean, which are facing urgent challenges on high debt, gun crime and climate change. Ramdin will stay in his role as foreign minister through May 25, when Almagro's term will finish and Suriname is set to hold a national election.
