MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US press harshly criticizes Chilean presidential hopeful

OAS Secretary JM Insulza

An influential The Washington Post columnist criticized José Miguel Insulza last Friday, questioning the increasingly clear presidential ambitions of the Chilean secretary general of the Organization of America States (OAS).

The attack came after Insulza appeared on Chilean television last week to assure the electorate he would "naturally be available" to compete in Chile's 2009 presidential election despite his current term. Insulza served as Interior Minister during the government of President Ricardo Lagos (2000-2006). Under the title "Insulza's Divided Attention," Marcela Sanchez expressed her hope that Insulza act "more presidential as a leader of the watchdog for democracy in the Americas, and less of a wannabe president of Chile." She reported that Insulza's presidential ambitions have become so obvious that there have been claims within the OAS that Insulza has transformed the organization's Web site into a campaign platform. Insulza justified his "divided attention" in an interview with Sanchez, claiming that it was important to his role at the OAS that he remains "politically relevant." While agreeing with Insulza up to a point, the article suggested that the secretary general had recently devoted a bit too much of his time towards that end. With respect to the growing unrest in Bolivia, for example, Sanchez accused Insulza of being slow to react. Representatives of both sides of the Bolivian conflict were in Washington, D.C. to meet with the secretary general last week. But with violence having erupted immediately after President Evo Morales announced constitutional reforms on Nov. 24, Sanchez believes Insulza missed an opportunity "to act presidential" in the job he currently holds. Sanchez did acknowledge that Insulza has proven himself a capable administrator, and the column elicited a mixed reaction among those close to the organization. Many OAS ambassadors credit the secretary general with restoring order and credibility to the organization after corruption charges forced former Costan Rican President Miguel Angel Rodríguez to resign in 2004, two weeks into his term at the helm. Venezuela's OAS ambassador, Jorge Valero, spoke out in defense of the secretary general, telling the Chilean paper La Tercera that Insulza's domestic political ambitions "are not an issue in Washington." "He has the right to compete in the election, and moreover he has done an excellent job here," Valero said. Still, others maintained that given the contentious atmosphere in the region – Bolivia is just one example of a nation rife with internal divisions – the leadership of the OAS demands undivided attention. Latin America is experiencing "one of the more difficult historical moments in modern times" according to Luis Lauredo, former US ambassador to the OAS. "It is a moment that requires the kind of concentration we now know Insulza doesn't have," he told Sanchez. The Santiago Times