OAS Re-Elects Insulza as General Secretary

Representatives of the 33 active nations of the Organization of American States (OAS) this morning voted unanimously in favor of re-electing José Miguel Insulza as Secretary General for 2010-2015. Mr. Insulza was the sole candidate for the position that he has held for one five-year term. It was widely believed that Mr. Insulza had the votes he needed to win a second term, but his re-election was not without controversy. The Chilean-born diplomat has been criticized in the United States and throughout Latin America. In a Congressional study commissioned by Senator Richard Lugar of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. Insulza is accused of "selective intervention in the defense of Democracy", noting that he has a record of mobilizing OAS countries to oppose the overthrow of leftist presidents such Hugo Chávez in Venezuela and Manuel Zelaya in Honduras, but does little to intervene when such leaders move to dismantle democratic freedoms and institutions beforehand.

Mr. Insulza has also received criticism from the left. President Chávez has referred to the OAS as "no longer serving any useful purpose", suggesting a decline in the organization's power and influence under Mr. Insulza's tenure. (3/24/10) (photo of José Miguel Insulza courtesy Internet)