The Organization of American States, OAS, elected on Monday to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Surinam, Albert Ramdin, as its general secretary until 2030, replacing the Uruguayan Luis Almagro.
Ramdin, 66, is the top diplomatic representative of Surinam since 2020, and was previously deputy general secretary of the OAS for two mandatesfrom 2005 to 2015. It will now become the first Caribbean leader of the agency.
In a speech in Washington, Ramdin highlighted the need for regional unity, dialogue, sustainable development and action against climate change, which is having a disproportionate impact on the small Caribbean nations, loaded with debt and exposed to increasingly serious natural disasters.
“Let’s unite our hands and mobilize our abilities”, Ramdin said. “I hope they are on the same path as me, to advance and not go back, united and not divided.”
The diplomat said he would seek to deepen cooperation between the subregions of the Americas and stressed that the climatic crisis “It has to be approached properly, not only in development agencies but also in political discourse.”
Your choice occurs at a time when the United States produces a huge swell in the region with a cascade of tariff adsthe dismantling of its foreign aid agency and mass deportations of migrants to third countries in Latin America.
“It is the first time in the history of the OAS that a Caribbean representative is elected general secretary,” said the Surinam government in a statement. “It is a great honor for Surinam that our candidate has received the support of the vast majority of member states.”
Surinam is located in the South American continent, but maintains closer diplomatic ties with the Caribbean communityCaricom.
He has opposed Washington’s sanctions against Venezuela and has supported the Guyana neighbor in a territorial dispute with Venezuela by the border region of Esequibo.
The Venezuela government said in 2017 that it would initiate a process to leave the OASbut since then the agency has recognized representatives of the country’s political opposition. He currently has no representative in the OAS, based in Washington.
Diplomats from other Nations of the Caricom expressed their hope that Ramdin’s appointment will drive diversity and the representation of the smallest nations in the Caribbean, which face urgent challenges about the high debt, armed crime and climate change.
Ramdin will remain in his office as Minister of Foreign Affairs until May 25date on which the mandate of Almagro and Surinam will end will hold national elections.
Almagro congratulated Ramdin and promised a quiet transition. “Few people reach this position so well prepared and aware of the challenges and responsibilities,” said Almagro. “You are very intelligent, a very cunning politician, you made a great campaign, but I did not mention one thing: you are also handsome.”
