MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

All set for Insulza’s re-election in OAS; Piñera flies to Washington in support

Jose Miguel Insulza has 29 votes, 12 more than those needed to confirm him

With a few hours left before the election of a new Secretary General for the Organization of American States, OAS, which has as only candidate Chilean Jose Miguel Insulza running for re-election, Chilean Foreign Affairs minister Alfredo Moreno said that support from United States is “welcome”.

“We have invited the rest of the countries to support Jose Miguel Insulza, so the support from the United States or any other country is going to be welcome”, said Moreno.

The administration of President Barack Obama so far has not made public its support for the former Chilean Interior minister and it is hoped it will do so next Wednesday when the vote is taken.

“United States is going to make its decision independently, but that is something we will be informed of by the US government”, said Moreno who has been in talks with Washington diplomats.

So far, according to non official estimates, Insulza has 29 votes, 12 more than the necessary to confirm him at the post.

“I believe there’s no alternative candidate, so there should be no problem with Insulza confirmed for another period as Secretary General”, said Moreno when asked how certain the re-election was.

Moreno said that although President Sebastian Piñera has already expressed his support for Insulza he will be travelling to the US on Wednesday to be present at the election and “be next to him (Insulza) in Washington, it’s important for Chilean diplomacy and Chileans that he holds on to that post”.

As to the future of OAS, Moreno said that during a meeting last February between Insulza and President Piñera, the new Chilean head of state pointed out to some modifications that could be introduced so “that the multilateral organization can better defend democracy as is clearly stated in the Democratic Charter”.

“There are things that can be done at Secretary General level and others which might require a modification or an improvement or an expansion of the Democratic Charter”.

The vote is scheduled to take place next Wednesday at 10:00 in the morning during an extraordinary general assembly at the OAS building in Washington.