AMLO wants to dissolve the OAS mainly funded by the United States and Canada

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The United States and Canada contribute 86.58% of the money for the operation of the Organization of American States, while Mexico contributes 5.58% to the body that asks to disappear

The United States and Canada provide more than $ 99 million (or 86.68 percent of the money) for the Organization of American States to operate. (OAS), an organization that is unlikely to disappear as proposed by the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

“If the OAS ever thundered, it would be because the United States withdraws money, rather than for a political issue,” says Francisco Javier Leyva Ortiz, a member of the Latin American Studies Association.

The United States is the nation that puts the most money for the operation of the OAS, World Bank, UN and WHO, highlights the researcher from the University of Guadalajara (UdeG). 

“At the time, many people were scared by Donald Trump, when he was withdrawing money from UNESCO. The United States will always be the one with the most money to finance international organizations, ”says Leyva Ortiz.

A withdrawal of funding from the United States to an organization like the OAS, shakes it more than a statement from a president such as Andrés Manuel López Obrador did, who requested his disappearance, says the Jalisco investigator.

In 2020, the OAS received more than 114 million 827 thousand dollars to finance expenses related to democracy and governance, human rights, multidimensional security, integral development, administration, as well as the operation of the executive management and support to member states.

The United States government, who in 2020 was under the command of Donald Trump, contributed more than 84 million 178 thousand dollars for the operation of the organization led by the Uruguayan Luis Leonardo Almagro Lemes.

For its part, Canada gave more than 15 million 249 thousand dollars for the multilateral actions carried out by the OAS in almost all of Latin America, to Cuba and Venezuela that are not affiliated with the body in charge of monitoring governance, democratic actions.

Mexico, whose president put the disappearance of the Organization of American States on the table, is the third country in Latin America, which contributes the most financial resources for activities: Each year it delivers 6 million 418 thousand dollars or less than 5%, according to information to which Forbes Mexico had access.

Other nations that finance the OAS are El Salvador, which gives $ 2 million, the Dominican Republic gives $ 1,394,000, Chile contributes $ 1,344,000, Colombia grants $ 974,122, Peru grants $ 639,164, and Haiti. adds up to more than $ 418,750.

In 1890, the Organization of American States was founded with a supranational, continental and regional character, as well as it was born in the context of Pan-Americanism and its most immediate precedent was the International Office of the American Republics (called the Pan American Union) and in 1948 it became the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States.

The OAS is made up of the Independent States of the American Continent, except Cuba and Venezuela. The organization became the main political forum for multilateral dialogue and decision-making of a hemispheric nature, such as the promotion of peace and security, as well as the consolidation of democracy and the promotion of human rights.

The Charter of the Organization of American States has been amended 4 times: By the Buenos Aires protocol signed in 1967 and in force since 1970, by the Washington Protocol approved in 1985 and in force since 1988, by the Washington Protocol approved in 1992, in force since 1997 and by the Managua Protocol approved in 1993 and in force since 1996.

On July 24, 2021, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, President of the Republic, proposed to replace the Organization of American States with a new international body that integrates all the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

“I am aware that it is a complex issue that requires a new political and economic vision: 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,”Said the former head of government of Mexico City.

“In that spirit, the replacement of the OAS by a truly autonomous body should not be ruled out, not a lackey of anyone, but a mediator at the request and acceptance of the parties in conflict, in matters of human rights and democracy,” declared the founder of Brunette.

AMLO said that it is a great task for good diplomats and politicians like those who, fortunately, exist in all Latin American countries.

Marta Lucía Ramírez, vice president and chancellor of the Republic of Colombia, showed her opposition to the proposal launched by the Mexican president, as well as proposed reaching a greater relationship with the United States and Canada.

“Although some voices asked to replace the OAS, I defended this organization and proposed its complementarity and convergence with CELAC,” said the Colombian official.

In May 2009, the former president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez called for the disappearance of the OAS for being cynical about a series of problems in several Latin American nations that were not addressed.

“If this continues, in truth, you have to ask yourself: Why the OAS? For the cynicism to continue? (…) Venezuela could leave the OAS and create or summon the peoples of this continent to free ourselves from those old instruments and to form an organization of the peoples of Latin America, of free peoples, ”said the Venezuelan president.

Mariano de Alba, a senior adviser at Crisis Group, says the OAS is unlikely to disappear, but the Mexican president’s proposal is viable.

“In the current context, I do not believe that it is among the plans and priorities of the vast majority of the countries in the region to leave the OAS,” says the Venezuelan consultant.

AMLO’s proposal seeks to de facto empty the importance of the OAS as a regional forum and try to transfer discussions and efforts to other regional forums such as CELAC: “I don’t see that very likely either, because the underlying problem is ideological.”

Most Latin American countries have not finished understanding that what should guide foreign policy are the interests of the State, which result in concrete benefits for its citizens, explains the expert in International Law and Diplomacy.

“The OAS has lost much effectiveness during the last ten years as a result of the failure to comply with many standards and commitments agreed upon by various countries,” says Mariano de Alba.

“This has caused it to end up being a forum to discuss and issue statements whose execution ends up being very difficult or very slow. One area where it continues to be important is in terms of missions to observe electoral processes, although it has also had highly questioned actions ”, he adds.

Any organization will be vital to the extent that its member countries abide by its standards and use the forum to discuss issues that have a concrete impact on people’s lives, adds the Crisis Group analyst.

Source: forbes.com.mx

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