MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil and Chile’s president elect support Insulza as OAS chief

Celso Amorim, Brazil’s Foreign Secretary

Brazil’s Foreign Secretary Celso Amorim said that The Washington Post criticisms of the Organization of American States, OAS, Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza are “totally without foundation” and reiterated Brazil’s support for his re-election next month.

Amorim currently visiting Chile on Friday met with president-elect Sebastian Piñera and praised Socialist Insulza, who also counts with the support of the incoming Chilean conservative administration.

“Criticisms are totally without foundation. Besides, the position of Mr. Insulza regarding Honduras has been the position of Brazil and of the majority of Latinamerican countries”, said Amorim during a press conference next to his Chilean peer Mariano Fernández.

Fernández announced the Chilean government would be sending a letter to the Washington Post in reply to an editorial saying the US should not support Mr. Insulza for a second period as OAS Secretary General.

The Washington Post criticized what it described as the “non action” of Mr. Insulza towards “authoritarian leaders such as those of Venezuela and Nicaragua”, adding that the OAS reacted aggressively but clumsily when the Honduras coup.

“Those who criticize are precisely those who adopted different positions on the issue. We all defended the elected and legitimate government and wanted the reinstatement of deposed President Zelaya”, underlined Amorim.

“It was not possible. Very well, history must roll on, we’ll have to work on that but during all those moments we had to work together, I only have positive words regarding the commitment displayed by Mr. Insulza”, he added.

This joint effort also helped, according to Amorim to put an end to Cuba’s suspension from the inter-American organization.

“I think those who criticize have a very narrow vision of current world affairs”, he emphasized.

Meantime following a meeting between president elect Piñeara and Insulza in Santiago, Chilean government sources confirmed that the outgoing president Michelle Bachelet and the incoming leader have expressed their full support for Insulza’s re-election as OAS Secretary General.

“I’m glad to see that the president elect is following a long established tradition of Chilean diplomacy and that is to support our fellow citizens who have clear chances of being elected for multilateral organization posts”, said Jorge Tarud member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Chile’s Lower House.