The government of Mexico decided to decline the chairmanship of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), as there are no adequate conditions to hold the position.
Through a letter delivered to the Deputy General Secretariat, headed by Ambassador Néstor Méndez (Belize), Mexico turned down the corresponding assignment in turn.
In accordance with the Statute of the Permanent Council of the OAS, the chairmanship of this body is held successively by the titular representatives in alphabetical order of the names in Spanish of the respective countries.
Periods automatically start on the first day of each quarter, according to the calendar.
Therefore, between January 1 and March 31, 2021, Mexico would chair the Permanent Council of the OAS.
The Permanent Mission of Mexico to the Organization of American States has the honor of addressing the Assistant General Secretariat of the Organization of American States and of referring to the exercise of the chairmanship of the Permanent Council of the Organization corresponding to Mexico from January 1 to March 31, 2021.
“In this regard, the Permanent Mission of Mexico announces that the Government of Mexico has decided not to exercise the chairmanship of this body, as it considers that the circumstances within the organization that allow it to exercise this function are not to exist. Likewise, it has the honor of requesting that this information be disseminated to the permanent missions of the member countries of the Organization, ”Mexico stated in the note of December 21.
The government of Mexico has not had a good relationship with OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, who has questioned his views in the face of internal political conflicts such as those in Venezuela and Bolivia.
Luis Almagro’s re-election to the General Secretariat of the OAS took place amid various questions and views, such as the Mexican one, that the trial was not carried out as the spread of Covid-19 began to be experienced in the world [marzo de 2020].
The elections took place and Luis Almagro won a comfortable victory over Ecuadorian María Fernanda Espinosa, who had backed Mexico.
Mexico, through its permanent representative to the OAS, Luz Elena Baños, accused Almagro of acting as a member state and not a facilitator. He also questioned re-election as it was incorrect.