MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, and Colombia endorse Surinamese candidate for OAS top spot

The Surinamese Albert Ramdin has served as Assistant OAS Secretary-General

Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, and Colombia have endorsed Suriname's Foreign Minister, Albert Ramdin, as their candidate for Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS). Ramdin, who previously served as Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, is seen as uniquely qualified to address contemporary challenges and bring a fresh perspective. The vote to replace the outgoing Secretary General, Luis Almagro of Uruguay, is scheduled for March 10, with Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez Lezcano also in the running. Almagro's term ends on May 25 after a decade in the role.

“This decision represents a significant step towards the unity of the region in the current geopolitical context and also a historic opportunity for the organization, as well as for the Caribbean region, which for the first time could lead this important space of hemispheric integration,” the foreign ministries of Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay explained in a joint note.

“Minister Albert Ramdin, with his vast experience in diplomacy, including his past role as Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, is uniquely positioned to address the contemporary challenges facing our countries, bringing a fresh perspective that reflects the realities and aspirations of the Caribbean region and the Americas as a whole,” the document also pointed out.

The controversial Almagro was under investigation in 2022 due to allegations that he maintained a consensual relationship with an assistant. In addition, his role in the accession of Jeanine Áñez to power in Bolivia in 2019 is yet unclear. Ánñez is currently under pre-trial incarceration.