Guatemala City, by Yuliza Muñoz -AGN- The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, participated for the first time in the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States -OAS-. In an ordinary meeting, he reported on the visit to Guatemala by the group of representatives before the OAS during the process of government change in our country.
He began his participation by stating that democracy prevailed in Guatemala and thanked the organization for its support during the electoral process, transition, and transfer of power.
According to Minister Martínez, the support of nations and the OAS played a relevant role in the country’s current situation.
“We are deeply grateful for the assistance of the Electoral Observation Mission that deployed more than 100 people for the most observed elections in Guatemala’s democratic history,” stated Minister Martínez.
He also added the important participation of the OAS General Secretariat through its representative in the country, Diego Paz. He thanked the Permanent Council for defending the principles of democratic coexistence in the region.
He stated in his address, “We recognize and appreciate the role played by this council for having been crucial allies in the defense of the principles of the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter.”
Report
The representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the OAS presented the report to the Council. He detailed that ten sessions were held there to address the situation in Guatemala. With the information from the Mission from Guatemala, he commented that there were crucial observations to ensure actions for democracy and the commitment to justice and transparency. The OAS addressed the situation in Guatemala in several meetings, but primarily to ensure respect for the people’s will.
He spoke about the difficulty on the day of the transfer of power. He also commented that there are still challenges in the country’s Executive and Legislative branches. The report mentions a division between judicial institutions. It also highlights the determination of the indigenous communities to express their needs concerning the services provided by the State.
The representative of Barbados mentioned that the OAS should remain accessible to the requests of the Guatemalan government. Furthermore, the organization should be proud to ensure democracy was upheld in Guatemala and an essential part of ensuring peace prevailed.
