The Organization of American States (OAS) approved this Friday, April 21, the continuity of its Secretary General, Luis Almagro, after an internal investigation was opened on accusations that he had a consensual relationship with a staff member.
With strong criticism from Mexico, Argentina and Bolivia, the Organization of American States (OAS) approved this Friday, April 21, the continuity of its Secretary General, Luis Almagroafter an external investigation revealed that he acted “without common sense or good judgment” in having an affair with a younger employee.
In a heated extraordinary session that exposed the differences between the member states, the OAS Permanent Council approved the resolution a few days after a law firm delivered the investigation report, which also concluded that Almagro did not violate the regulations. regarding his supervisory duties, salary increases, intimidation, travel, or conflicts of interest with the woman.
* Also read: Almagro faces investigation for alleged romance within the OAS
The resolution, which was specifically about the investigation report, was not put to a vote. Its approval, which was expected, gives continuity to the leadership of the Uruguayan who came to the OAS secretariat in 2015.
Almagro, who was not at the Council meeting, has stated that at all times he acted with “the maximum transparency and putting the interests of the Organization first and respecting its rules.”
The investigation was commissioned by the OAS after Associated Press revealed in October 2022 that Almagro, 59, had a long relationship with a Mexican collaborator 20 years younger than him. The affair, which lasted nearly four years, was an open secret and created the impression, both inside and outside the OAS, that the employee was receiving preferential treatment from the Washington-based organization’s secretary general.
The investigation report indicated that Almagro knew this and yet did not take steps to prevent this perception from continuing. He indicated, however, that he had not benefited her with salary increases or promotions.
The Council session was hybrid – some ambassadors were in person and others connected virtually – and was broadcast live on social media.
Almagro was elected leader of the OAS with almost unanimous support and from the beginning of his administration he took positions close to those of the United States, raising his voice against socialist governments such as those of Cuba and Venezuela.
He was re-elected in 2020 and has since faced criticism over the OAS’s role in the 2019 Bolivian elections that ended with the resignation of then-President Evo Morales amid allegations of fraud by the organization’s observation mission, later criticized. by American experts and academics.
With information from PA
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