MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

OAS: unity but with several conditions

Jose Miguel Insulza the newly elected Secretary General of the Organization of American States, OAS, underscored in his acceptance speech that in his new post he will defend the interests of all country members.

The Chilean candidate was finally overwhelmingly elected Monday afternoon in the Washington OAS building after several hours of negotiations, but could not manage to muster full support from the 34 multilateral organization members since Peru, Bolivia and a third so far unknown country, did not vote for him choosing to abstain or annul the ballot.

London's Financial Times described Monday's extraordinary OAS assembly as a "formal victory" for Mr. Insulza.

United States State Department also anticipated what they expect from the incoming OAS Secretary General who will be officially taking office end of May.

The Bolivian delegate, Foreign Affairs minister Juan Ignacio Siles called on Mr. Insulza to promote as OAS Secretary General, a peaceful and definitive solution to the century old conflict with Chile. Land locked Bolivia claims access to the Pacific through a strip of land that would cross disputed northern Chilean territory.

During the assembly's debate Peru openly opposed Mr. Insulza accusing Chile of selling weapons in 1995 to Ecuador in the midst of the armed border conflict with Peru. At that time Mr. Insulza was Chile's Foreign Affairs minister and Chile was a guarantor of the Peruvian-Ecuadorian peace and border treaty.

Mexico's permanent ambassador before OAS Miguel Hakim was also critical of Chile arguing that last Friday April 29, Mexico proposed that the two then leading candidates Mr. Insulza and Mexican Foreign Secretary Ernesto Derbez step down contributing to a "consensus" nomination. "However, for reasons they (Chile) will have to explain to the honourable Assembly, they rejected point blank the suggestion", underlined Ambassador Hakim.

"As Secretary General I no longer represent a country, but I would like to say something before advancing. I want to ensure my fellow Bolivian brothers that in my actions as Secretary General I will never do anything that could harm objectively or subjectively their interests. I express hopes that the problems which have divided Chile and Bolivia, two close countries with a common destiny, can be solved through a mutually beneficial dialogue", said Mr. Insulza in his speech. Further on the thanked all member countries which shared his programmatic proposal from the beginning and those "which with generosity helped the ample vote registered, which reflects what the OAS is, stands for, and the region needs".

Following his speech Mr. Insulza left the OAS building for the State Department to meet with Condoleezza Rice.

United States requested the new OAS Secretary General Mr. Insulza promote democracy and human rights in the continent and in Cuba, making non democratic governments accountable.

"The values of democracy and human rights as reflected in the OAS Interamerican Democratic Charter must be promoted in all America, including Cuba", said US Deputy State Secretary for Hemispheric Affairs Roger Noriega.

Cuba is OAS 35th member but has its participation suspended since 1962 for "having identified with the principles of the Marxist-Leninist ideology" reads the original declaration.

Mr. Noriega also emphasized the need to strengthen democratic institutions in the continent and make democratically elected governments rule democratically, and "those who do not must be made accountable". Mr. Insulza's election reflects our agreement with three basic OAS principles: "achieve unity; democratic unity and no space for easily said statements that the continent is divided in north and south", added Mr. Noriega.

In a more conciliatory tone Argentine Foreign Affairs minister Rafael Bielsa said that there were no winner or looser in the (Chilean-Mexican) candidacy dispute, but rather a great victory, "OAS victory and its unity and democratic commitment".