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Organization of American States

January 13, 2023

The Organization of American States (OAS; Spanish: Organización de los Estados Americanos; Portuguese: Organização dos Estados Americanos; French: Organisation des États américains; OEA) is an international organization that was founded on 30 April 1948 for the purposes of solidarity and co-operation among its member states within the Americas. Headquartered in the United States capital, Washington, D.C., the OAS has 35 members, which are independent states in the Americas.[2] Since the 1990s, the organization has focused on election monitoring. The head of the OAS is the Secretary General; the incumbent is Uruguayan Luis Almagro.[3]

Organization of American States
3 other official names
  • Organisation des États américains (French)
  • Organização dos Estados Americanos (Portuguese)
  • Organización de los Estados Americanos (Spanish)
Motto: 
"Democracy for peace, security and development"
  Member states
  Former member states
  Disputed member states
HeadquartersWashington, D.C., U.S.
38°53′34″N 77°02′25″W / 38.8929138°N 77.0403734°W / 38.8929138; -77.0403734 (OAS headquarters, Washington, D.C.)Coordinates: 38°53′34″N 77°02′25″W / 38.8929138°N 77.0403734°W / 38.8929138; -77.0403734 (OAS headquarters, Washington, D.C.)
Official languagesEnglish
French
Portuguese
Spanish
Demonym(s)American
Member states
Leaders
Luis Almagro
• Assistant Secretary General
Nestor Mendez
Establishment
• Charter
30 April 1948
Area
• Total
40,275,678 km2 (15,550,526 sq mi)
Population
• 2008 estimate
980,457,921
• Density
24/km2 (62.2/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−10 to +0
Website
www.oas.org/en/

History

 
The Pan American Union Building shortly after its construction in Washington, D. C., 1910

Background

The notion of an international union in the New World was first put forward during the liberation of the Americas by José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar[4] who, at the 1826 Congress of Panama (still being part of Colombia), proposed creating a league of American republics, with a common military, a mutual defense pact, and a supranational parliamentary assembly. This meeting was attended by representatives of Gran Colombia (comprising the modern-day countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela), Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, The United Provinces of Central America, and Mexico but the grandly titled "Treaty of Union, League, and Perpetual Confederation" was ultimately ratified only by Gran Colombia. Bolívar's dream soon floundered with civil war in Gran Colombia, the disintegration of Central America, and the emergence of national rather than New World outlooks in the newly independent American republics. Bolívar's dream of inter-American unity was meant to unify Hispanic American nations against external powers.

 
Logo in 1909 publication[5]

The pursuit of regional solidarity and cooperation again came to the forefront in 1889–1890, at the First International Conference of American States. Gathered together in Washington, D.C., 18 nations resolved to found the International Union of American Republics, served by a permanent secretariat called the Commercial Bureau of the American Republics (renamed the International Commercial Bureau at the Second International Conference in 1901–1902). These two bodies, in existence as of 14 April 1890, represent the point of inception to which the OAS and its General Secretariat trace their origins.

At the fourth International Conference of American States (Buenos Aires, 1910), the name of the organization was changed to the Union of American Republics and the Bureau became the Pan American Union. The Pan American Union Building was constructed in 1910, on Constitution Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C.

Foundation

 
Pan American Union headquarters building in Washington, D.C., 1943.

In the mid-1930s, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt organized an inter-American conference in Buenos Aires. One of the items at the conference was a "League of Nations of the Americas", an idea proposed by Colombia, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic.[6] At the subsequent Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace, 21 nations pledged to remain neutral in the event of a conflict between any two members.[7] The experience of World War II convinced hemispheric governments that unilateral action could not ensure the territorial integrity of the American nations in the event of external aggression. To meet the challenges of global conflict in the postwar world and to contain conflicts within the hemisphere, they adopted a system of collective security, the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty) signed in 1947 in Rio de Janeiro.

The ninth International Conference of American States was held in Bogotá between March and May 1948 and led by United States Secretary of State George Marshall, a meeting which led to a pledge by members to fight communism in the western hemisphere.[8] This was the event that saw the birth of the OAS as it stands today, with the signature by 21 American countries of the Charter of the Organization of American States on 30 April 1948 (in effect since December 1951). The meeting also adopted the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, the world's first general human rights instrument.

The transition from the Pan American Union to OAS would have been smooth if it had not been for the assassination of Colombian leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán. The Director General of the former, Alberto Lleras Camargo, became the Organization's first Secretary General. The current Secretary General is former Uruguayan minister of foreign affairs Luis Almagro.

Modern day

The OAS conducted an audit of the 2019 Bolivian general election, which opposition supporters argued was fraudulent. The OAS report contended that the results were marred by "clear manipulation" and significant irregularities leading to the 2019 Bolivian political crisis. Bolivian president Evo Morales resigned soon after, having lost the confidence of the country's military in what he described as a coup.[9] Some media outlets debated whether it should be referred to as a coup.[10] On 21 December, the Technical Mission of Electoral Experts sent by the European Union published a 67-page report made similar observations and conclusions to that of the OAS. They noted that "there were minutes with an unusually high number of null votes, blank votes and a hundred percent participation of voters in a series of polling stations" and highlighted the general failure of the TSE to declare these irregularities.[11][12] Studies commissioned by the American left-leaning[13][14][15] think tank CEPR, argued that the OAS report's statistical analysis was inaccurate and unreliable.[16] The author of the OAS's vote return analysis stated that the CEPR's explanation of the results was implausible.[17] The organization has been criticized by Mexico[18] and the CEPR[19][better source needed] for their perception of interference into the internal affairs of Bolivia.[20] The OAS observed the subsequent 2020 Bolivian general election stating there was no evidence of fraud.[21] The New York Times concluded that there was some fraud, but that it was unclear how much or if it was sufficient to change the result of the election, and suggested the initial analysis by the OAS was flawed.[22]

 
Seal with the official name in English.

In April 2022, Nicaragua reported the completion of its withdrawal process from the OAS initiated in November 2021, though the OAS stated that per the terms of treaty the withdrawal would not take effect until 2023.[23]

Milestones

Significant milestones in the history of the OAS since the signing of the Charter have included the following:

Goals and purpose

In the words of Article 1 of the Charter, the goal of the member nations in creating the OAS was "to achieve an order of peace and justice, to promote their solidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and to defend their sovereignty, their territorial integrity, and their independence." Article 2 then defines eight essential purposes:

  • To strengthen the peace and security of the continent.
  • To promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of non-intervention.
  • To prevent possible causes of difficulties and to ensure the pacific settlement of disputes that may arise among the member states.
  • To provide for common action on the part of those states in the event of aggression.
  • To seek the solution of political, judicial, and economic problems that may arise among them.
  • To promote, by cooperative action, their economic, social, and cultural development.
  • To eradicate extreme poverty, which constitutes an obstacle to the full democratic development of the peoples of the hemisphere.
  • To achieve an effective limitation of conventional weapons that will make it possible to devote the largest amount of resources to the economic and social development of the member states.

Over the course of the 1990s, with the end of the Cold War, the return to democracy in Latin America, and the thrust toward globalization, the OAS made major efforts to reinvent itself to fit the new context. Its stated priorities now include the following:

  • Strengthening democracy: Between 1962 and 2002, the Organization sent multinational observation missions to oversee free and fair elections in the member states on more than 100 occasions. The OAS also works to strengthen national and local government and electoral agencies, to promote democratic practices and values, and to help countries detect and defuse official corruption.
  • Working for peace: Special OAS missions have supported peace processes in Nicaragua, Suriname, Haiti, and Guatemala. The Organization has played a leading part in the removal of landmines deployed in member states and it has led negotiations to resolve the continents' remaining border disputes (Guatemala/Belize; Peru/Ecuador). Work is also underway on the construction of a common inter-American counter-terrorism front.
  • Defending human rights: The agencies of the inter-American human rights system provide a venue for the denunciation and resolution of human rights violations in individual cases. They also monitor and report on the general human rights situation in the member states.
  • Fostering free trade: The OAS is one of the three agencies currently engaged in drafting a treaty aiming to establish an inter-continental free trade area from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego.
  • Fighting the drugs trade: The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission was established in 1986 to coordinate efforts and crossborder cooperation in this area.
  • Promoting sustainable development: The goal of the OAS's Inter-American Council for Integral Development is to promote economic development and combating poverty. OAS technical cooperation programs address such areas as river basin management, the conservation of biodiversity, preservation of cultural diversity, planning for global climate change, sustainable tourism, and natural disaster mitigation.

Organizational structure

 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the OAS Permanent Council in January 2019.

The Organization of American States is composed of an Organization of American States General Secretariat, the Permanent Council, the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, and a number of committees.

The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States consists of six secretariats.

The various committees of the Organization of American States include:

  • The Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs
  • The Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs
  • The Committee on Hemispheric Security
  • The Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities

The various commissions of the Organization of American States include:

Funding

The OAS has two funds, one for the General Secretariat, and one for specific programs and initiatives. The General Assembly asks for contributions from each member country based on its capacity to pay. In 2018 the General Secretariat's budget was $85 million of which the US contributed $50 million. In 2017 the US contributed $17 million to the fund for specific programmes which was almost a third of the total contributions for that year.[33]

General Assembly

 
A session of the OAS's thirty-fifth General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, June 2005
Main article: General Assembly of the Organization of American States

The General Assembly is the supreme decision-making body of OAS. It convenes once every year in a regular session. In special circumstances, and with the approval of two-thirds of the member states, the Permanent Council can convene special sessions.

The Organization's member states take turns hosting the General Assembly on a rotating basis. The states are represented at its sessions by their chosen delegates: generally, their ministers of foreign affairs, or their appointed deputies. Each state has one vote, and most matters—except for those for which the Charter or the General Assembly's own rules of procedure specifically require a two-thirds majority—are settled by a simple majority vote.

The General Assembly's powers include setting the OAS's general course and policies by means of resolutions and declarations; approving its budget and determining the contributions payable by the member states; approving the reports and previous year's actions of the OAS's specialized agencies; and electing members to serve on those agencies.

Membership and adhesions

For a more comprehensive list, see Member states of the Organization of American States.

Upon its foundation in 1948, the OAS had 21 members, most of them in Latin America:

The later expansion of the OAS included Canada and the newly independent nations of the Caribbean. Members with later admission dates (sorted chronologically):

Notes

  1. ^ a b On 19 November 2021, Nicaragua announced its intention to withdraw from the OAS. Per the terms of the charter, the process will be effective 2 years following notification, in 2023.[1] See Status of Nicaragua below.
  2. ^ a b On 28 April 2017, Venezuela notified the OAS of its denunciation of the Charter of the OAS, which as per Article 143 would lead to the withdraw of Venezuela from the OAS effective two years from the date of notification.[26] During the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis, the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela Juan Guaidó, who was recognized by the National Assembly as the acting president, sent a letter to the OAS Secretary General annulling the previous denuncation of the OAS Charter, and expressing his desire for Venezuela to remain a member of the OAS.[26] The National Assembly designated a special envoy as representative to the OAS, who the OAS voted to recognize as Venezuela's delegate in April.[27][28]
  3. ^ Suspended between 2009–2011.[34] See Suspension of Honduras below.

Canada and the OAS

Although Canada was a founding member of the League of Nations in 1919[35] and has joined international organizations since that date, it chose not to join the OAS when it was first formed, despite its close relations with the United States. Canada became a Permanent Observer in the OAS on 2 February 1972. Canada signed the Charter of the Organization of American States on 13 November 1989 and this decision was ratified on 8 January 1990.[36]

In 2004–2005, Canada was the second largest contributor to the OAS, with an annual assessed contribution representing 12.36 percent of the OAS Regular Budget (US$9.2 million) and an additional C$9 million in voluntary contributions to specific projects.[37][38] Shortly after joining as a full member, Canada was instrumental in the creation of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, which provides support for the strengthening and consolidation of democratic processes and institutions in OAS member states.[39][non-primary source needed]

Sanctions against the Dominican Republic during Trujillo regime

See also: Assassination attempt of Rómulo Betancourt

During the 6th Conference of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Costa Rica, from 16 to 20 August 1960, a conviction against the State of the Dominican Republic was agreed to unanimously. The penalty was motivated because the foreign ministers checked the veracity of the claim that the Rafael Trujillo regime had sponsored an attack against Rómulo Betancourt, at that time, constitutional president of Venezuela. The meeting was attended by foreign ministers from 21 American nations, including Cuba, which at that time had not yet been expelled from the inter-American system.

All countries, including the United States and Haiti, broke off diplomatic relations with the Dominican Republic. Additionally an economic blockade that affected the exports of sugar was applied, which at that time was the pillar of the Dominican economy.

It was the first application of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, which had been adopted at the OAS on 29 July 1960.

Status of Cuba

Further information: Cuba–OAS relations

The current government of Cuba was excluded from participation in the Organization under a decision adopted by the Eighth Meeting of Consultation in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on 31 January 1962. The vote was passed by 14 in favor, with one against (Cuba) and six abstentions (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Mexico). The operative part of the resolution reads as follows:

  1. That adherence by any member of the Organization of American States to Marxism-Leninism is incompatible with the inter-American system and the alignment of such a government with the communist bloc breaks the unity and solidarity of the continents.
  2. That the present Government of Cuba, which has officially identified itself as a Marxist-Leninist government, was incompatible with the principles and objectives of the inter-American system.
  3. That this incompatibility excluded the present Government of Cuba from participation in the inter-American system.[40]

This meant that the Cuban nation was still technically a member state, but that the current government was denied the right of representation and attendance at meetings and of participation in activities. The OAS's position was that although Cuba's participation was suspended, its obligations under the Charter, the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, etc. still hold: for instance, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights continued to publish reports on Cuba's human rights situation and to hear individual cases involving Cuban nationals. However, this stance was occasionally questioned by other individual member states.

The resolution to exclude Cuba was controversial when it was adopted, and the reintegration of Cuba into the Inter-American system has remained a frequent source of contention among the countries of the hemisphere ever since.[41] Cuba's position was stated in an official note sent to the Organization "merely as a courtesy" by Minister of Foreign Affairs Raúl Roa on 4 November 1964: "Cuba was arbitrarily excluded ... The Organization of American States has no juridical, factual, or moral jurisdiction, nor competence, over a state which it has illegally deprived of its rights."[42] The reincorporation of Cuba as an active member regularly arose as a topic within the inter-American system – for instance, it was intimated by the outgoing ambassador of Mexico in 1998[43] – but most observers did not see it as a serious possibility while the present government remained in power. Since 1960, the Cuban administration had repeatedly characterized the OAS as the "Ministry of Colonies" of the United States of America.[44][45] Fidel Castro and his brother Raúl attacked the OAS as a "Yankee bordello" and "instrument of imperialist domination" and vowed that Cuba would never join, although OAS rescinded the nation's expulsion in 2009 and invited it to apply for readmission.[46][47] Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez promised to veto any final declaration of the 2009 Summit of the Americas due to Cuba's exclusion.[48]

On 17 April 2009, after a "trading of warm words" between the administrations of U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raúl Castro, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza said he would ask the 2009 General Assembly to annul the 1962 resolution excluding Cuba.[49]

On 3 June 2009, foreign ministers assembled in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, for the OAS's 39th General Assembly, passed a vote to lift Cuba's suspension from the OAS. The United States had been pressuring the OAS for weeks to condition Cuba's readmission to the group on democratic principles and commitment to human rights. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Fander Falconí said there will be no such conditions. "This is a new proposal, it has no conditions—of any kind," Falconí said. "That suspension was made in the Cold War, in the language of the Cold War. What we have done here is fix a historic error."[50] The suspension was lifted at the end of the General Assembly, but, to be readmitted to the Organization, Cuba will need to comply with all the treaties signed by the Member States, including the Inter-American Democratic Charter of 2001.[51] A statement issued by the Cuban government on 8 June 2009 stated that while Cuba welcomed the Assembly's gesture, in light of the Organization's historical record "Cuba will not return to the OAS."[52]

Suspension of Honduras (2009–2011)

 
Those attending the Extraordinary Assembly of the OAS voted to suspend Honduras.

Following the expulsion of its President Manuel Zelaya, Honduras' membership of the Organization was suspended unanimously at midnight on 5 July 2009.[53] The de facto government had already announced it was leaving the OAS hours earlier; this was not, however, taken into account by the OAS, which did not recognize that government as legitimate.[54] An extraordinary meeting had been conducted by the OAS in Washington, D.C., with Zelaya in attendance.[53][55][56] The suspension of Honduras was approved unanimously with 33 votes (Honduras did not vote).[53][56] This was the first suspension carried out by the OAS since that of Cuba in 1962.[53][56]

After Zelaya's return to Honduras in 2011, the country was re-admitted to the Organization on 1 June 2011 with 32 votes in favor and 1 (Ecuador) against. Venezuela expressed some reservations.[57]

Status of Venezuela

On 28 April 2017, Venezuela notified the OAS of its denunciation of the Charter of the OAS, which as per Article 143 would lead to the withdrawal of Venezuela from the OAS effective two years from the date of notification.[26] During this period, the country did not plan on participating in the OAS.[58]

During the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis, the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela Juan Guaidó, who was recognized by the National Assembly as the acting president, sent a letter to the OAS Secretary General annulling the previous denunciation of the OAS Charter, and expressing his desire for Venezuela to remain a member of the OAS.[26] The National Assembly designated a special envoy as representative to the OAS, lawyer Gustavo Tarre Briceño, who the OAS voted to recognize as Venezuela's delegate in April.[27][28][29] In October 2022, a bloc of leftist OAS member states led a motion to remove Tarre's representation in the organization. Out of 35 members, 19 nations voted in favor of the motion and 4 against. The motion fell short of the 24 votes required for a two-thirds majority.[59]

Status of Nicaragua

On 7 November 2021, Nicaragua held a general election which saw President Daniel Ortega re-elected to a fourth term in office.[60] In a vote by the OAS Permanent Council, 25 member states voted in favour of a resolution condemning the election, whilst 7 countries abstained, including Mexico, Honduras and Bolivia. The motion stated that the election was "not free, fair or transparent and lack[s] democratic legitimacy" and also instructed the Permanent Council to undertake an assessment of the situation and "take appropriate action".[61]

In response to this criticism, Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada announced on 19 November that Nicaragua would depart from the OAS.[1] Moncada called the bloc "an instrument of interference and intervention" and accused it of "facilitating the hegemony of the United States with its interventionism over the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean."[62][63][undue weight? – discuss] According to Article 143 of the Founding Charter of the OAS, the process to withdraw from the organization takes two years after its announcement.[64]

In April 2022, Nicaragua announced that it had completed its withdrawal from the OAS. It said the OAS' offices in Managua had been closed. However, the OAS stated that per the terms of treaty the withdrawal would not take effect until 2023.[65]

Permanent observers

As of 31 January 2014, there are 69 permanent observer countries including the four countries with territory or territories in the Americas—Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom; as well as the European Union and India.[66][67][68]

In March 2022, the OAS voted to suspend Russia as a permanent observer due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[69]

Official languages

 
Statue of Isabella I the Catholic Queen in front of the seat of the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C.

The Organization's official languages are Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English. The Charter, the basic instrument governing OAS, makes no reference to the use of official languages. These references are to be found in the Rules of Procedure governing the various OAS bodies. Article 51 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly,[70] the supreme body of the OAS, which meets once a year, states that English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish are the four official languages. Article 28 stipulates that a Style Committee shall be set up with representatives of the four official languages to review the General Assembly resolutions and declarations. Article 53 states that proposals shall be presented in the four official languages. The Rules of Procedure and Statutes of other bodies, such as the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CEPCIDI), the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Inter-American Juridical Committee (CJI), technical bodies of the OAS, also mention the four official languages in which their meetings are to be conducted. Policy is therefore dictated through these instruments that require use of the four official languages at meetings.[71]

Although a number of other languages have official status in one or more member states of OAS (Dutch in Suriname; Haitian Creole alongside French in Haiti; Quechua and Aymara in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia; Guaraní in Paraguay), they are not official languages of the Organization.

Specialized agencies

The OAS has five specialized agencies:[72]

See also

ChileParaguayArgentinaUruguayPeruBrazilBarbadosTrinidad and TobagoColombiaGuyanaSurinameJamaicaBoliviaEcuadorVenezuelaCubaDominicaAntigua and BarbudaMontserratSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSaint LuciaNicaraguaBelizeGrenadaSaint Kitts and NevisCanadaMexicoPanamaUnited StatesHondurasEl SalvadorBahamasHaitiGuatemalaCosta RicaDominican RepublicInter-American Treaty of Reciprocal AssistanceCommunity of Latin American and Caribbean StatesLatin American Economic SystemUnion of South American NationsAmazon Cooperation Treaty OrganizationAndean CommunityMercosurCaribbean CommunityPacific AllianceALBACentral American Integration SystemCentral American ParliamentOrganisation of Eastern Caribbean StatesLatin American Integration AssociationCentral America-4 Border Control AgreementUnited States–Mexico–Canada AgreementAssociation of Caribbean StatesOrganization of American StatesPetrocaribeCARICOM Single Market and Economy 
A clickable Euler diagram showing the relationships between various multinational organisations in the Americas (prior to 2019).v • d • e

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organization, american, states, spanish, organización, estados, americanos, portuguese, organização, estados, americanos, french, organisation, États, américains, international, organization, that, founded, april, 1948, purposes, solidarity, operation, among, . The Organization of American States OAS Spanish Organizacion de los Estados Americanos Portuguese Organizacao dos Estados Americanos French Organisation des Etats americains OEA is an international organization that was founded on 30 April 1948 for the purposes of solidarity and co operation among its member states within the Americas Headquartered in the United States capital Washington D C the OAS has 35 members which are independent states in the Americas 2 Since the 1990s the organization has focused on election monitoring The head of the OAS is the Secretary General the incumbent is Uruguayan Luis Almagro 3 Organization of American States3 other official names Organisation des Etats americains French Organizacao dos Estados Americanos Portuguese Organizacion de los Estados Americanos Spanish Flag EmblemMotto Democracy for peace security and development Member states Former member states Disputed member statesHeadquartersWashington D C U S 38 53 34 N 77 02 25 W 38 8929138 N 77 0403734 W 38 8929138 77 0403734 OAS headquarters Washington D C Coordinates 38 53 34 N 77 02 25 W 38 8929138 N 77 0403734 W 38 8929138 77 0403734 OAS headquarters Washington D C Official languagesEnglishFrench PortugueseSpanishDemonym s AmericanMember states34 states Antigua and BarbudaArgentinaBahamasBarbadosBelizeBoliviaBrazilCanadaChileColombiaCosta RicaDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEl SalvadorGrenadaGuatemalaGuyanaHaitiHondurasJamaicaMexicoNicaragua Note 1 PanamaParaguayPeruSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSurinameTrinidad and TobagoUnited StatesUruguayVenezuela Note 2 Leaders Secretary GeneralLuis Almagro Assistant Secretary GeneralNestor MendezEstablishment Charter30 April 1948Area Total40 275 678 km2 15 550 526 sq mi Population 2008 estimate980 457 921 Density24 km2 62 2 sq mi Time zoneUTC 10 to 0Websitewww wbr oas wbr org wbr en wbr Contents 1 History 1 1 Background 1 2 Foundation 1 3 Modern day 1 4 Milestones 2 Goals and purpose 3 Organizational structure 4 Funding 5 General Assembly 6 Membership and adhesions 6 1 Notes 6 2 Canada and the OAS 6 3 Sanctions against the Dominican Republic during Trujillo regime 6 4 Status of Cuba 6 5 Suspension of Honduras 2009 2011 6 6 Status of Venezuela 6 7 Status of Nicaragua 6 8 Permanent observers 7 Official languages 8 Specialized agencies 9 See also 10 References 11 External linksHistory EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Organization of American States news newspapers books scholar JSTOR April 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Pan American Union Building shortly after its construction in Washington D C 1910 Background Edit The notion of an international union in the New World was first put forward during the liberation of the Americas by Jose de San Martin and Simon Bolivar 4 who at the 1826 Congress of Panama still being part of Colombia proposed creating a league of American republics with a common military a mutual defense pact and a supranational parliamentary assembly This meeting was attended by representatives of Gran Colombia comprising the modern day countries of Colombia Ecuador Panama and Venezuela Argentina Peru Bolivia The United Provinces of Central America and Mexico but the grandly titled Treaty of Union League and Perpetual Confederation was ultimately ratified only by Gran Colombia Bolivar s dream soon floundered with civil war in Gran Colombia the disintegration of Central America and the emergence of national rather than New World outlooks in the newly independent American republics Bolivar s dream of inter American unity was meant to unify Hispanic American nations against external powers Logo in 1909 publication 5 The pursuit of regional solidarity and cooperation again came to the forefront in 1889 1890 at the First International Conference of American States Gathered together in Washington D C 18 nations resolved to found the International Union of American Republics served by a permanent secretariat called the Commercial Bureau of the American Republics renamed the International Commercial Bureau at the Second International Conference in 1901 1902 These two bodies in existence as of 14 April 1890 represent the point of inception to which the OAS and its General Secretariat trace their origins At the fourth International Conference of American States Buenos Aires 1910 the name of the organization was changed to the Union of American Republics and the Bureau became the Pan American Union The Pan American Union Building was constructed in 1910 on Constitution Avenue Northwest Washington D C Foundation Edit Pan American Union headquarters building in Washington D C 1943 In the mid 1930s U S President Franklin Delano Roosevelt organized an inter American conference in Buenos Aires One of the items at the conference was a League of Nations of the Americas an idea proposed by Colombia Guatemala and the Dominican Republic 6 At the subsequent Inter American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace 21 nations pledged to remain neutral in the event of a conflict between any two members 7 The experience of World War II convinced hemispheric governments that unilateral action could not ensure the territorial integrity of the American nations in the event of external aggression To meet the challenges of global conflict in the postwar world and to contain conflicts within the hemisphere they adopted a system of collective security the Inter American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance Rio Treaty signed in 1947 in Rio de Janeiro The ninth International Conference of American States was held in Bogota between March and May 1948 and led by United States Secretary of State George Marshall a meeting which led to a pledge by members to fight communism in the western hemisphere 8 This was the event that saw the birth of the OAS as it stands today with the signature by 21 American countries of the Charter of the Organization of American States on 30 April 1948 in effect since December 1951 The meeting also adopted the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man the world s first general human rights instrument The transition from the Pan American Union to OAS would have been smooth if it had not been for the assassination of Colombian leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan The Director General of the former Alberto Lleras Camargo became the Organization s first Secretary General The current Secretary General is former Uruguayan minister of foreign affairs Luis Almagro Modern day Edit The OAS conducted an audit of the 2019 Bolivian general election which opposition supporters argued was fraudulent The OAS report contended that the results were marred by clear manipulation and significant irregularities leading to the 2019 Bolivian political crisis Bolivian president Evo Morales resigned soon after having lost the confidence of the country s military in what he described as a coup 9 Some media outlets debated whether it should be referred to as a coup 10 On 21 December the Technical Mission of Electoral Experts sent by the European Union published a 67 page report made similar observations and conclusions to that of the OAS They noted that there were minutes with an unusually high number of null votes blank votes and a hundred percent participation of voters in a series of polling stations and highlighted the general failure of the TSE to declare these irregularities 11 12 Studies commissioned by the American left leaning 13 14 15 think tank CEPR argued that the OAS report s statistical analysis was inaccurate and unreliable 16 The author of the OAS s vote return analysis stated that the CEPR s explanation of the results was implausible 17 The organization has been criticized by Mexico 18 and the CEPR 19 better source needed for their perception of interference into the internal affairs of Bolivia 20 The OAS observed the subsequent 2020 Bolivian general election stating there was no evidence of fraud 21 The New York Times concluded that there was some fraud but that it was unclear how much or if it was sufficient to change the result of the election and suggested the initial analysis by the OAS was flawed 22 Seal with the official name in English In April 2022 Nicaragua reported the completion of its withdrawal process from the OAS initiated in November 2021 though the OAS stated that per the terms of treaty the withdrawal would not take effect until 2023 23 Milestones Edit Significant milestones in the history of the OAS since the signing of the Charter have included the following 1959 Inter American Commission on Human Rights created 1959 Inter American Development Bank created 1960 First application of the Inter American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance against the regime of Rafael Trujillo in Dominican Republic 1961 Charter of Punta del Este signed launching the Alliance for Progress 1962 OAS suspends Cuba 1969 American Convention on Human Rights signed in force since 1978 1970 OAS General Assembly established as the Organization s supreme decision making body 1979 Inter American Court of Human Rights created 1991 Adoption of Resolution 1080 which requires the Secretary General to convene the Permanent Council within ten days of a coup d etat in any member country 1994 First Summit of the Americas Miami which resolved to establish a Free Trade Area of the Americas by 2005 2001 Inter American Democratic Charter adopted 2009 OAS revokes 1962 suspension of Cuba 2009 OAS suspends Honduras due to the coup which ousted president Manuel Zelaya 2010 The OAS intervened in the Haiti 2010 presidential election demanding that the third place candidate be permitted to participate in a runoff election with the first place candidate 24 using flawed statistics to suggest the second place showing of the left wing candidate Jude Celestin was invalid 25 2011 OAS lifts the suspension of Honduras with the return of Manuel Zelaya from exile 2017 Venezuela announces it will begin the process to leave the OAS in response to what it alleged was OAS interference in Venezuela s political crisis 2019 During the Venezuelan presidential crisis the President of the National Assembly Juan Guaido recognized by the National Assembly as the acting president expressed his desire for Venezuela to remain a member of the OAS 26 the OAS voted to recognize Gustavo Tarre Briceno as Venezuela s delegate in April the National Assembly s representative to the OAS 27 28 29 2020 OAS concluded that the 2019 Bolivian general election was fraudulent 30 31 32 Goals and purpose EditIn the words of Article 1 of the Charter the goal of the member nations in creating the OAS was to achieve an order of peace and justice to promote their solidarity to strengthen their collaboration and to defend their sovereignty their territorial integrity and their independence Article 2 then defines eight essential purposes To strengthen the peace and security of the continent To promote and consolidate representative democracy with due respect for the principle of non intervention To prevent possible causes of difficulties and to ensure the pacific settlement of disputes that may arise among the member states To provide for common action on the part of those states in the event of aggression To seek the solution of political judicial and economic problems that may arise among them To promote by cooperative action their economic social and cultural development To eradicate extreme poverty which constitutes an obstacle to the full democratic development of the peoples of the hemisphere To achieve an effective limitation of conventional weapons that will make it possible to devote the largest amount of resources to the economic and social development of the member states Over the course of the 1990s with the end of the Cold War the return to democracy in Latin America and the thrust toward globalization the OAS made major efforts to reinvent itself to fit the new context Its stated priorities now include the following Strengthening democracy Between 1962 and 2002 the Organization sent multinational observation missions to oversee free and fair elections in the member states on more than 100 occasions The OAS also works to strengthen national and local government and electoral agencies to promote democratic practices and values and to help countries detect and defuse official corruption Working for peace Special OAS missions have supported peace processes in Nicaragua Suriname Haiti and Guatemala The Organization has played a leading part in the removal of landmines deployed in member states and it has led negotiations to resolve the continents remaining border disputes Guatemala Belize Peru Ecuador Work is also underway on the construction of a common inter American counter terrorism front Defending human rights The agencies of the inter American human rights system provide a venue for the denunciation and resolution of human rights violations in individual cases They also monitor and report on the general human rights situation in the member states Fostering free trade The OAS is one of the three agencies currently engaged in drafting a treaty aiming to establish an inter continental free trade area from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego Fighting the drugs trade The Inter American Drug Abuse Control Commission was established in 1986 to coordinate efforts and crossborder cooperation in this area Promoting sustainable development The goal of the OAS s Inter American Council for Integral Development is to promote economic development and combating poverty OAS technical cooperation programs address such areas as river basin management the conservation of biodiversity preservation of cultural diversity planning for global climate change sustainable tourism and natural disaster mitigation Organizational structure Edit US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the OAS Permanent Council in January 2019 The Organization of American States is composed of an Organization of American States General Secretariat the Permanent Council the Inter American Council for Integral Development and a number of committees The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States consists of six secretariats Secretariat for Political Affairs Executive Secretariat for Integral Development Secretariat for Multidimensional Security Secretariat for Administration and Finance Secretariat for Legal Affairs Secretariat for External RelationsThe various committees of the Organization of American States include The Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs The Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs The Committee on Hemispheric Security The Committee on Inter American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS ActivitiesThe various commissions of the Organization of American States include Inter American Commission of Women CIM Inter American Commission on Human Rights CIDH Inter American Telecommunication Commission CITEL Funding EditThe OAS has two funds one for the General Secretariat and one for specific programs and initiatives The General Assembly asks for contributions from each member country based on its capacity to pay In 2018 the General Secretariat s budget was 85 million of which the US contributed 50 million In 2017 the US contributed 17 million to the fund for specific programmes which was almost a third of the total contributions for that year 33 General Assembly Edit A session of the OAS s thirty fifth General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale Florida United States June 2005 Main article General Assembly of the Organization of American States The General Assembly is the supreme decision making body of OAS It convenes once every year in a regular session In special circumstances and with the approval of two thirds of the member states the Permanent Council can convene special sessions The Organization s member states take turns hosting the General Assembly on a rotating basis The states are represented at its sessions by their chosen delegates generally their ministers of foreign affairs or their appointed deputies Each state has one vote and most matters except for those for which the Charter or the General Assembly s own rules of procedure specifically require a two thirds majority are settled by a simple majority vote The General Assembly s powers include setting the OAS s general course and policies by means of resolutions and declarations approving its budget and determining the contributions payable by the member states approving the reports and previous year s actions of the OAS s specialized agencies and electing members to serve on those agencies Membership and adhesions EditFor a more comprehensive list see Member states of the Organization of American States Upon its foundation in 1948 the OAS had 21 members most of them in Latin America Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Note 3 Mexico Nicaragua Note 1 needs update Panama Paraguay Peru United States Uruguay Venezuela Note 2 The later expansion of the OAS included Canada and the newly independent nations of the Caribbean Members with later admission dates sorted chronologically Barbados member since 1967 Trinidad and Tobago 1967 Jamaica 1969 Grenada 1975 Suriname 1977 Dominica 1979 Saint Lucia 1979 Antigua and Barbuda 1981 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1981 Bahamas 1982 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1984 Canada 1990 Belize 1991 Guyana 1991 Notes Edit a b On 19 November 2021 Nicaragua announced its intention to withdraw from the OAS Per the terms of the charter the process will be effective 2 years following notification in 2023 1 See Status of Nicaragua below a b On 28 April 2017 Venezuela notified the OAS of its denunciation of the Charter of the OAS which as per Article 143 would lead to the withdraw of Venezuela from the OAS effective two years from the date of notification 26 During the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela Juan Guaido who was recognized by the National Assembly as the acting president sent a letter to the OAS Secretary General annulling the previous denuncation of the OAS Charter and expressing his desire for Venezuela to remain a member of the OAS 26 The National Assembly designated a special envoy as representative to the OAS who the OAS voted to recognize as Venezuela s delegate in April 27 28 Suspended between 2009 2011 34 See Suspension of Honduras below Canada and the OAS Edit Although Canada was a founding member of the League of Nations in 1919 35 and has joined international organizations since that date it chose not to join the OAS when it was first formed despite its close relations with the United States Canada became a Permanent Observer in the OAS on 2 February 1972 Canada signed the Charter of the Organization of American States on 13 November 1989 and this decision was ratified on 8 January 1990 36 In 2004 2005 Canada was the second largest contributor to the OAS with an annual assessed contribution representing 12 36 percent of the OAS Regular Budget US 9 2 million and an additional C 9 million in voluntary contributions to specific projects 37 38 Shortly after joining as a full member Canada was instrumental in the creation of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy which provides support for the strengthening and consolidation of democratic processes and institutions in OAS member states 39 non primary source needed Sanctions against the Dominican Republic during Trujillo regime Edit See also Assassination attempt of Romulo Betancourt This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed November 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message During the 6th Conference of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of American States OAS in Costa Rica from 16 to 20 August 1960 a conviction against the State of the Dominican Republic was agreed to unanimously The penalty was motivated because the foreign ministers checked the veracity of the claim that the Rafael Trujillo regime had sponsored an attack against Romulo Betancourt at that time constitutional president of Venezuela The meeting was attended by foreign ministers from 21 American nations including Cuba which at that time had not yet been expelled from the inter American system All countries including the United States and Haiti broke off diplomatic relations with the Dominican Republic Additionally an economic blockade that affected the exports of sugar was applied which at that time was the pillar of the Dominican economy It was the first application of the Inter American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance which had been adopted at the OAS on 29 July 1960 Status of Cuba Edit Further information Cuba OAS relations The current government of Cuba was excluded from participation in the Organization under a decision adopted by the Eighth Meeting of Consultation in Punta del Este Uruguay on 31 January 1962 The vote was passed by 14 in favor with one against Cuba and six abstentions Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Ecuador and Mexico The operative part of the resolution reads as follows That adherence by any member of the Organization of American States to Marxism Leninism is incompatible with the inter American system and the alignment of such a government with the communist bloc breaks the unity and solidarity of the continents That the present Government of Cuba which has officially identified itself as a Marxist Leninist government was incompatible with the principles and objectives of the inter American system That this incompatibility excluded the present Government of Cuba from participation in the inter American system 40 This meant that the Cuban nation was still technically a member state but that the current government was denied the right of representation and attendance at meetings and of participation in activities The OAS s position was that although Cuba s participation was suspended its obligations under the Charter the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man etc still hold for instance the Inter American Commission on Human Rights continued to publish reports on Cuba s human rights situation and to hear individual cases involving Cuban nationals However this stance was occasionally questioned by other individual member states The resolution to exclude Cuba was controversial when it was adopted and the reintegration of Cuba into the Inter American system has remained a frequent source of contention among the countries of the hemisphere ever since 41 Cuba s position was stated in an official note sent to the Organization merely as a courtesy by Minister of Foreign Affairs Raul Roa on 4 November 1964 Cuba was arbitrarily excluded The Organization of American States has no juridical factual or moral jurisdiction nor competence over a state which it has illegally deprived of its rights 42 The reincorporation of Cuba as an active member regularly arose as a topic within the inter American system for instance it was intimated by the outgoing ambassador of Mexico in 1998 43 but most observers did not see it as a serious possibility while the present government remained in power Since 1960 the Cuban administration had repeatedly characterized the OAS as the Ministry of Colonies of the United States of America 44 45 Fidel Castro and his brother Raul attacked the OAS as a Yankee bordello and instrument of imperialist domination and vowed that Cuba would never join although OAS rescinded the nation s expulsion in 2009 and invited it to apply for readmission 46 47 Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez promised to veto any final declaration of the 2009 Summit of the Americas due to Cuba s exclusion 48 On 17 April 2009 after a trading of warm words between the administrations of U S President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said he would ask the 2009 General Assembly to annul the 1962 resolution excluding Cuba 49 On 3 June 2009 foreign ministers assembled in San Pedro Sula Honduras for the OAS s 39th General Assembly passed a vote to lift Cuba s suspension from the OAS The United States had been pressuring the OAS for weeks to condition Cuba s readmission to the group on democratic principles and commitment to human rights Ecuador s Foreign Minister Fander Falconi said there will be no such conditions This is a new proposal it has no conditions of any kind Falconi said That suspension was made in the Cold War in the language of the Cold War What we have done here is fix a historic error 50 The suspension was lifted at the end of the General Assembly but to be readmitted to the Organization Cuba will need to comply with all the treaties signed by the Member States including the Inter American Democratic Charter of 2001 51 A statement issued by the Cuban government on 8 June 2009 stated that while Cuba welcomed the Assembly s gesture in light of the Organization s historical record Cuba will not return to the OAS 52 Suspension of Honduras 2009 2011 Edit Those attending the Extraordinary Assembly of the OAS voted to suspend Honduras Following the expulsion of its President Manuel Zelaya Honduras membership of the Organization was suspended unanimously at midnight on 5 July 2009 53 The de facto government had already announced it was leaving the OAS hours earlier this was not however taken into account by the OAS which did not recognize that government as legitimate 54 An extraordinary meeting had been conducted by the OAS in Washington D C with Zelaya in attendance 53 55 56 The suspension of Honduras was approved unanimously with 33 votes Honduras did not vote 53 56 This was the first suspension carried out by the OAS since that of Cuba in 1962 53 56 After Zelaya s return to Honduras in 2011 the country was re admitted to the Organization on 1 June 2011 with 32 votes in favor and 1 Ecuador against Venezuela expressed some reservations 57 Status of Venezuela Edit On 28 April 2017 Venezuela notified the OAS of its denunciation of the Charter of the OAS which as per Article 143 would lead to the withdrawal of Venezuela from the OAS effective two years from the date of notification 26 During this period the country did not plan on participating in the OAS 58 During the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela Juan Guaido who was recognized by the National Assembly as the acting president sent a letter to the OAS Secretary General annulling the previous denunciation of the OAS Charter and expressing his desire for Venezuela to remain a member of the OAS 26 The National Assembly designated a special envoy as representative to the OAS lawyer Gustavo Tarre Briceno who the OAS voted to recognize as Venezuela s delegate in April 27 28 29 In October 2022 a bloc of leftist OAS member states led a motion to remove Tarre s representation in the organization Out of 35 members 19 nations voted in favor of the motion and 4 against The motion fell short of the 24 votes required for a two thirds majority 59 Status of Nicaragua Edit On 7 November 2021 Nicaragua held a general election which saw President Daniel Ortega re elected to a fourth term in office 60 In a vote by the OAS Permanent Council 25 member states voted in favour of a resolution condemning the election whilst 7 countries abstained including Mexico Honduras and Bolivia The motion stated that the election was not free fair or transparent and lack s democratic legitimacy and also instructed the Permanent Council to undertake an assessment of the situation and take appropriate action 61 In response to this criticism Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada announced on 19 November that Nicaragua would depart from the OAS 1 Moncada called the bloc an instrument of interference and intervention and accused it of facilitating the hegemony of the United States with its interventionism over the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean 62 63 undue weight discuss According to Article 143 of the Founding Charter of the OAS the process to withdraw from the organization takes two years after its announcement 64 In April 2022 Nicaragua announced that it had completed its withdrawal from the OAS It said the OAS offices in Managua had been closed However the OAS stated that per the terms of treaty the withdrawal would not take effect until 2023 65 Permanent observers Edit As of 31 January 2014 there are 69 permanent observer countries including the four countries with territory or territories in the Americas Denmark France the Netherlands and the United Kingdom as well as the European Union and India 66 67 68 In March 2022 the OAS voted to suspend Russia as a permanent observer due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine 69 Official languages Edit Statue of Isabella I the Catholic Queen in front of the seat of the Organization of American States in Washington D C The Organization s official languages are Spanish Portuguese French and English The Charter the basic instrument governing OAS makes no reference to the use of official languages These references are to be found in the Rules of Procedure governing the various OAS bodies Article 51 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly 70 the supreme body of the OAS which meets once a year states that English French Portuguese and Spanish are the four official languages Article 28 stipulates that a Style Committee shall be set up with representatives of the four official languages to review the General Assembly resolutions and declarations Article 53 states that proposals shall be presented in the four official languages The Rules of Procedure and Statutes of other bodies such as the Inter American Council for Integral Development CIDI the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter American Council for Integral Development CEPCIDI the Inter American Commission of Women CIM the Inter American Drug Abuse Control Commission CICAD the Inter American Commission on Human Rights IACHR and the Inter American Juridical Committee CJI technical bodies of the OAS also mention the four official languages in which their meetings are to be conducted Policy is therefore dictated through these instruments that require use of the four official languages at meetings 71 Although a number of other languages have official status in one or more member states of OAS Dutch in Suriname Haitian Creole alongside French in Haiti Quechua and Aymara in Peru Ecuador and Bolivia Guarani in Paraguay they are not official languages of the Organization Specialized agencies EditThe OAS has five specialized agencies 72 Pan American Health Organization PAHO Inter American Children s Institute es IIN Inter American Commission of Women CIM Pan American Institute of Geography and History PAIGH Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture es IICA See also Edit North America portal Central America portal Mesoamerica portal Caribbean portal South America portal Latin America portal Politics portal A clickable Euler diagram showing the relationships between various multinational organisations in the Americas prior to 2019 v d e African Union Community of Latin American and Caribbean States European Union Flag of the Organization of American States Organization of Ibero American States Regional integration Rio Group Rio Pact Statues of the Liberators Union of South American Nations Young Americas Business TrustReferences Edit a b Nicaragua says it will leave Organization of American States The Washington Post Associated Press 19 November 2021 Retrieved 20 November 2021 permanent dead link The Organization of American States Council on Foreign Relations Wyss Jim As a Uruguayan is poised to head the OAS questions swirl about Venezuela Miami Herald Retrieved 18 March 2015 Panama A Country Study Washington GPO for the Library of Congress 1987 catalog International bureau of the American republics Washington D C from old Book Start this Cacao PDF retrieved 2021 10 13 Special to the New York Times League of Nations in Americas urged by 3 Latin states The New York Times April 13 1936 p 1 Americas adopt neutrality pact The New York Times December 20 1936 Organization of American States Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 2019 09 04 Faiola Anthony Krygier Rachelle Bolivia s Morales resigns amid scathing election report rising protests The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved 2021 03 18 AP Explains Did a coup force Bolivia s Evo Morales out Associated Press 11 November 2019 Retrieved 4 December 2019 Whether the events Sunday in Bolivia constitute a coup d etat is now the subject of debate in and outside the nation Bolivia s coup is largely a question of semantics Union Europea Misionde Expertos Electorales Bolivia 2019 Informe Final PDF in Spanish European Union in Bolivia Archived from the original PDF on 6 July 2020 Retrieved 15 October 2020 Informe de la UE detecto numerosos errores en elecciones de Bolivia Voice of America Spanish www voanoticias com in Spanish Voice of America Spanish 21 December 2019 Retrieved 15 October 2020 Rosenberg Tina 4 November 2007 The Perils Of Petrocracy The New York Times Retrieved 5 October 2014 Mark Weisbrot co director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research a left wing Washington policy group Sussman Anna Louie 7 September 2015 Are Women the New Face of Organized Labor The Wall Street Journal Retrieved 20 September 2015 Fox Maggie 24 July 2013 Obamacare won t slash workers hours report finds NBC News Retrieved 31 October 2014 Data from Bolivia s Election Add More Evidence That OAS Fabricated Last Year s Fraud Claims October 21 2020 Nooruddin Irfan Analysis Yes Bolivia s 2019 election was problematic Here s why The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved 2021 03 18 Garcia David Alire March 17 2021 Esposito Anthony ed Mexico to OAS Stop interfering in Bolivia s internal affairs Associated Press Thomson Reuters Retrieved February 14 2022 Williams Jack R Curiel John Analysis of the 2019 Bolivia Election PDF Center for Economic and Policy Research CEPR Retrieved February 14 2022 Hetland Gabriel March 7 2020 Opinion The OAS helped undermine not restore democracy in Bolivia The Washington Post Retrieved 14 February 2022 Tancara Castillo Candido 23 October 2020 ONU OEA y Uniore descartan fraude en elecciones generales Pagina Siete in Spanish Archived from the original on 14 April 2021 Retrieved 8 June 2021 Kurmanaev Anatoly June 7 2020 A Bitter Election Accusations of Fraud And Now Second Thoughts The New York Times Nicaragua announces withdrawal from Organization of American States despite bloc s objections france24 com 25 April 2022 Rosnick David September 2020 The OAS Accusation of Electoral Fraud Against Evo Morales Is Bullshit And Now We Have the Data to Prove It Jacobin Rosnick David August 2011 The Organization of American States in Haiti Election Monitoring or Political Intervention Center for Economic and Policy Research This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4 0 license a b c d e CHARTER OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES A 41 Organization of American States Retrieved 2019 04 29 a b c Resolution on the Situation in Venezuela Organization of American States 2019 04 09 Retrieved 2019 04 29 a b c OAS recognises Guaido s envoy until new Venezuela elections held Al Jazeera 2019 04 09 Retrieved 2019 04 27 a b Tarre Briceno primera designacion gubernamental de la AN Efecto Cocuyo in Spanish Archived from the original on 23 January 2019 Retrieved 23 January 2019 Kurmanaev Anatoly June 7 2020 A Bitter Election Accusations of Fraud And Now Second Thoughts The New York Times Greenwald Glenn June 8 2020 The New York Times Admits Key Falsehoods That Drove Last Year s Coup in Bolivia Falsehoods Peddled by the U S Its Media and the Times The Intercept Resnick David September 5 2020 The OAS Accusation of Electoral Fraud Against Evo Morales is Bullshit And Now We Have the Data to Prove It Jacobin The Organization of American States Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Retrieved 12 November 2019 OAS readmits Honduras to its ranks CNN 2011 06 01 Retrieved 2012 11 01 League of Nations The Canadian Encyclopedia Retrieved September 6 2019 OAS August 2009 Charter of the Organization of American States a 41 Signatories and Ratifications OAS Retrieved 2 June 2022 Canada and the Organization of American States Archived 2009 01 23 at the Wayback Machine Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada DFAIT 2005 Canada and the Organization of American States Archived 2007 11 23 at the Wayback Machine by Dr Ludwil J Kos Rabcewicz Zubkowski Air University Review September October 1967 Canada and the OAS A Vigorous Partnership Archived 2005 02 19 at the Wayback Machine Canada World View Issue 8 Summer 2000 Six Report on the Situation of Political Prisoners in Cuba Inter American Commission on Human Rights Organization of American States 1979 12 14 This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Organization of American States Background and Issues for Congress PDF The Situation of Human Rights in Cuba Seventh Report Inter American Commission on Human Rights Organization of American States 1983 10 04 Mexico Calls for Cuba s Reinstatement into the OAS Press release Organization of American States 1998 02 04 Organization of American States The Testing of the OAS Time 1960 08 22 Archived from the original on June 24 2009 Solis Marta 1972 04 26 Castro admits problems in education Siempre Latin American Network Information Center University of Texas at Austin pp 40 41 Lino Gutierrez June 9 2009 Why Cuba won t join the OAS Foreign Policy Cuba will never rejoin imperialist OAS says Castro Deutsche Welle June 5 2016 Chavez threatens veto over Cuba BBC News Online 2009 04 17 Retrieved 2009 04 17 U S Cuba trade warm words ahead of summit NBC News 2009 04 17 Retrieved 2009 04 17 OAS votes to lift suspension of Cuba The Miami Herald 2009 06 03 Retrieved 2009 06 03 dead link Proceedings Volume 1 Retrieved 2019 12 28 Declaration of the Revolutionary Government Granma 2009 06 08 Archived from the original on 2012 02 19 Retrieved 2009 06 15 a b c d Americas group suspends Honduras BBC 2009 07 05 Retrieved 2009 07 05 Honduras leaders pull out of OAS RTE 2009 07 04 Retrieved 2009 07 05 OAS expels Honduras membership over coup China Daily 2009 07 05 Retrieved 2009 07 05 a b c Hipwell Deirdre 2009 07 05 Organisation of American States suspends Honduras over coup The Times London Retrieved 2009 07 05 Press Releases E 698 11 OAS Retrieved on 2013 07 12 Venezuela says it will quit Organization of American States Washington Post Retrieved 2017 04 27 Aquino Marco Rochabrun Marcelo 2022 10 07 Latin America s left raises pressure on Venezuela s Guaido at OAS summit Reuters Retrieved 2022 10 07 Biden calls Nicaragua s election a pantomime that s neither free nor fair France 24 8 November 2021 Retrieved 20 November 2021 OAS members condemn Nicaragua elections urge action Reuters 13 November 2021 Retrieved 20 November 2021 Nicaragua decides to leave OAS after election criticism Deutsche Welle 19 November 2021 Retrieved 21 November 2021 Kawsachun News KawsachunNews November 19 2021 Nicaragua s condemns the OAS as an instrument of interference and intervention adding that it has as its mission to facilitate the hegemony of the United States with its interventionism against the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean Tweet Retrieved 20 November 2021 via Twitter Maldonado Carlos Salinas 19 November 2021 Ortega anuncia la salida de la OEA tras el rechazo a las elecciones de Nicaragua El Pais in Spanish Retrieved 21 November 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Nicaragua withdraws from regional bloc OAS after election row MSN 25 April 2022 Retrieved 25 April 2022 OAS Organization of American States Democracy for peace security and development www oas org August 1 2009 SER DIA Permanent Observers OAS Retrieved on 2013 07 12 Montenegro Gains Observer Status to Organisation of American States February 4 2014 Archived from the original on February 24 2014 Retrieved February 4 2014 Preguntense a quien hubiera apoyado Simon Bolivar dijo Zelenski en un emotivo discurso ante la OEA 6 October 2022 General Assembly of the OAS Amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly 5 June 2000 Marguerite Groves Coordinator Division of Language Services OAS Information on the use of language at the OAS multilingualism Archived February 3 2007 at the Wayback Machine Inter American Languages Management Seminar Conseil superieur de la langue francaise Quebec Quebec City 20 to 22 August 2002 OAS Our Structure Specialized Organizations OAS Organization of American States 1996 01 29 Retrieved 2021 10 18 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Organization of American States Official website The Organization of American States in Haiti Election Monitoring or Political Intervention from the Center for Economic and Policy Research October 2011 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Organization of American States amp oldid 1132551362, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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