The foreign ministers of Surinam and Paraguay, who compete to hold the position of general secretary of the Organization of American States (OAS), will arrive in Washington on Monday to look for votes to their candidacies. That same day the one that replaces Luis Almagro will be chosen.
The Foreign Ministers of Paraguay, Rubén Darío Ramírez Lezcano and Surinam, Albert Ramchand Ramdin, will attend Monday before the Organization of American States (OAS) to promote their candidacies to secretary general of the agency and replace Luis Almagro, who culminates his Mandate next May 25.
The OAS reported that in the extraordinary session on Monday, both candidates will be received to the Permanent Council with “their proposals and initiatives to direct the hemispheric body during the 2025-2030 period”. The vote is scheduled to be held that same day.
The formal registration period of applicants closed on February 3, but the regulation of the OAS General Assembly, powers the states to present candidates on the same day of the election.
Figures of diplomacy
Foreign Minister Ramírez Lezcano, 59, assumed the Headquarters of Paraguayan diplomacy for the second time in August 2023, had previously held the position during the mandate of President Nicanor Duarte, between 2006 and 2008.
He received professional training in Economic Sciences, with studies carried out at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Sorbonne University of Paris, France; and the University of California, in the US, according to Review the Foreign Ministry.
Ramírez enjoys the support of the president of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, who highlighted, according to Paraguayan media, the political, diplomatic and professional care A noble, generous, prudent, sensible and tolerant person. ”
The Paraguayan Foreign Ministry also highlights the domain of several languages of its chancellor among these: Spanish, English and French, all official languages of the OAS.
From the Caribbean
Surinam also promotes the application of its Foreign Minister Albert Ramchand Ramdin, 67, who occupies the diplomatic headquarters of his country since July 2020.
Ramdin also has experience within the hemispheric body in Washington, held the position of deputy general secretary from 2005 to 2015 during the mandates of the Chilean José Miguel Insulza in the OAS.
The OAS is made up of 35 countries of the American continent and the Caribbean committed to the democratic Charter, currently, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela have no representation in the body. European countries participate as observer members.
To the vote of the new secretary general, some foreign ministers could attend, but because it is a permanent council, the presence of the holders is optional and can choose the ambassadors, according to OAS sources.