REUTERS
Chilean Interior Minister José Miguel Insulza (centre) is congratulated by (from left) U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Chilean Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker, Colombian Foreign Minister Carolina Barco, Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew and Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez before a press conference in Santiago, Chile yesterday. Derbez announced in the press conference that he's backing down as candidate to be the next secretary-general of the Organisation of American States, leaving the way open for Insulza to be elected during the coming week in Washington.
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP):
Chilean Interior Minister José Miguel Insulza was assured of election yesterday as the
next secretary-general of the Organisation of American States following the withdrawal of Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez from the race.
The announcement was made by Colombian Foreign Minister Carolina Barco following intense discussions involving United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Insulza, Derbez and other Latin American diplomats.
stalemate
At a foreign ministers meeting in Washington last month, Insulza and Derbez were deadlocked at 17 votes apiece,
an outcome that remained unchanged after five ballots.
The United States backed Derbez but said that either candidate would make an excellent secretary-general.
Rice and the other diplomats were here for a meeting of the Community of Democracies, an organisation of 108 nations that seek to promote democracy worldwide. Insulza is expected to be elected unanimously when the 34-nation OAS reconvenes Monday in Washington to hold the formal election.
The Chilean candidate was backed by most of the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) including Jamaica.
