On Saturday, at the annual summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador once again took aim at the Organization of American States (OAS), proposing that it be replaced with a more “autonomous organisation.”
Denouncing the regional bloc, which is headquartered in Washington, López Obrador said, “The substitution of the OAS can’t be ruled out for a truly autonomous organization—not a servant to anyone, but a mediator.” He declared, “The proposal is neither more nor less than to build something similar to the European Union, but attached to our history, our reality and our identities.”
His comments were well received by Bolivian President Luis Arce, who said, “We echo the words of our brother, López Obrador, in the idea of replacing the OAS with another truly autonomous body which expresses regional balances, respects the self-determination of the peoples and does not allow for the hegemony of a single State.”
The Mexican leader’s most recent comments demonstrate his administration’s continued frustrations with both OAS President Luis Almagro and Argentina, from where Almagro hails. Mexico has opposed the Organization’s stance on issues such as its approach to the Maduro administration in Venezuela, its response to the US’ punitive measures against Cuba, and its alleged complicity in the 2019 Bolivian coup to overthrow erstwhile president Evo Morales.
To this end, on Saturday, López Obrador hailed Cuba as an “example of resistance” for its ability to withstand, albeit poorly, the pressure of US sanctions. In fact, on Sunday, Mexico announced the delivery of two ships of food and medical aid to Cuba, which will include oxygen tanks, needles, syringes, and staple food items such as rice and beans. López Obrador highlighted Mexico’s alliance with Cuba earlier this month when he described bilateral ties as “fraternal.”
Mexico shares similar relations with Bolivia. In March, both countries signed a joint statement warning OAS Secretary-General Almagro that they would not “tolerate interference in [their] internal affairs” and called on the Organization to respect democracy and “act within its own institutional framework.”
And then last month, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard described Almagro’s performance as the Secretary-General as “one of the worst in history,” adding, “He has acted, repeatedly, without consulting the member states. He acts as if he were autonomous.”
The OAS is a continental organisation of 35 countries that aims to promote diplomacy and trade between states in the Western Hemisphere. Headquartered in Washington DC, the organisation has often been accused of being an arm of the US government, as evidenced by the exclusion of Cuba, and the withdrawal of Venezuela in 2017.
In fact, the OAS was first formed as a coalition of anti-communist countries in 1948 during the beginning of the Cold War. Moreover, the US Agency of International Development (USAID) wrote in 2018 that the OAS “promotes U.S. political and economic interests in the Western Hemisphere by countering the influence of anti-U.S. countries such as Venezuela” as a justification for the approval of funding by Congress.
Mexico’s opposition to the OAS has been further intensified by recent revelations that former Argentine President Mauricio Macri and other senior officials in his administration have been charged for their role in the 2019 Bolivia coup. The Macri administration was allegedly involved in the “illegal shipment of weapons and ammunition to Bolivia.”
Given that OAS Secretary-General Almagro is from Argentina, that the US is commonly acknowledged to have supported the coup, and that the OAS is seen as an extension of the US government, countries like Mexico, Bolivia, and Cuba have once again called for the regional grouping to be shut down or significantly overhauled.
Mexican President Calls for OAS to Be Replaced With a More “Autonomous” Organisation
July 27, 2021
IMAGE SOURCE: MEXICAN PRESIDENCYMexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador