MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Regional conflicts and food prices in OAS assembly agenda

The 38th General Assembly of the Organization of American States, OAS, opened this weekend in Colombia and although the motive of the meeting is “Youth and democratic values”, more pressing issues will have to be addressed by the gathering.

These issues are the ongoing Colombia-Ecuador relations disruption, political tension in Bolivia that is facing a series of defiant autonomous referendums and the food prices crisis that has already ousted one government in the region. The Colombia-Ecuador conflict was born when Colombian troops raided a rebel FARC group camp across the border in Ecuador which left over twenty people killed including the former rebel leader Raúl Reyes who was considered FARC's number 2 in command. Quito broke off relations with Colombia and OAS since the very moment of the incident which occurred on March first, has been working to reestablish dialogue between the neighboring countries. However President Rafael Correa is not participating of the OAS assembly in Medellín, Colombia. Another growing conflict refers to Bolivia where OAS is trying to mediate. Several of the richest provinces of the country are holding autonomy referendums, which La Paz considers undemocratic and illegitimate, to protest economic, land and tax policies of President Evo Morales administration. Morales, the first indigenous to be elected president in the country's history, backfired to the challenge with a recall referendum that involves his post, vice president and that of the nine provincial leaders. He expects to be handsomely confirmed but not necessarily several of his challengers. OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza recently revealed that the organization would be sending observers to the August 10 recall referendum. OAS has been trying to mediate between the Bolivian central government and the province of Santa Cruz which leads the autonomy movement and has already celebrated its own referendum with an overwhelming support for the initiative. However landlocked Bolivia's main neighbors, Argentina and Brazil have said that they only consider legitimate the administration of President Morales and warned that they will not trade with self proclaimed provincial governments. Last but not least food prices are also in the agenda as is in all regions of the world. With a considerable percentage of the population living in poverty or below poverty line, and is spite of the boom which commodity prices has meant overall for the region, the issue has already brought down following days of rioting, the government of Haiti. In other countries of the region subsidized food and fuel prices help to cope with the situation, so far, but the challenge remains and is pressing admits Insulza.