Ambassador supported by Lula defeats Trump’s candidate and assumes OAS

Supported by countries such as Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia, Suriname Chancellor Albert Ramdin was elected on Monday (10) Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS). Ramdin’s victory marks a change in the entity’s driving after ten years under the strong influence of the United States and represents a setback for President Donald Trump’s interests in Latin America.

Ramdin’s mandate will extend until 2030, and Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs charged from the new secretary-general a “independent” and “conciliatory” performance. In an official statement, Itamaraty pointed out that the new OAS head should act inclusive to represent the interests of all member countries.

Geopolitical dispute and Latin American articulation

Initially, the OAS lead dispute included Paraguayan chancellor Rubén Ramírez, who had a Trump -aligned profile. However, Ramírez’s candidacy was abruptly withdrawn by Paraguay’s president, Santiago Peña, after realizing that “friends in the region” had taken support from their minister. The Paraguayan government interpreted this change as a diplomatic coup promoted by countries in the region to avoid alignment of the OAS with Washington’s interests.

The articulation to isolate Ramírez had Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, who saw the possible election of the Paraguayan as a risk of automatic alignment of the entity with Trump’s conservative guidelines. Ramdin’s victory, endorsed by a progressive alliance, prevented the OAS from becoming an instrument of political influence from the US President in Latin America.

During the Lula administration, Brazil has reinforced its support for multilateral organisms such as Mercosur, BRICS and the organization of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (OTCA), as well as the OAS itself. For Itamaraty, preserving the OAS independence was essential to avoid its political instrumentalization by Trump, whose agenda includes protectionist measures against trading partners and mass deportations of Latin migrants.

Change in OAS and impacts on Latin America

Ramdin’s election represents the end of a decade of leadership under Luis Almagro, who, despite being a chancellor in the government of Pepe Mujica, became a staunch opponent of progressive governments in the region, being criticized for his posture against countries such as Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela. During his management, Almagro was accused of adopting a selective approach in defending democracy and fostering political tensions, resulting in the removal of Venezuela and Nicaragua from the OAS.

Given this history, Brazilian diplomacy emphasized the need for the new secretary general to adopt a posture of balance and impartiality. In her speech after the election, the secretary general of Brazil’s Foreign Affairs, Maria Laura da Rocha, stressed that the OAS needs to recover her credibility and act as a space of dialogue between the countries of the continent. According to her, the organization should avoid taking sides in internal political disputes and strengthening multilateralism as the basis for regional cooperation.

Reactions and challenges for Ramdin

The United States delegation, represented by diplomat Michael Kozak, lamented Almagro’s departure and asked the new OAS management to maintain the fight against illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Kozak emphasized that the US will continue to press sanctions against governments considered “authoritarian” in the region, such as Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. In addition, he warned of the influence of external powers on the continent, in an implicit reference to China and Russia.

Meanwhile, Brazil and its allies highlighted the importance of an OAS repositioning as a conflict mediator, citing the recent success of the organization in Guatemala’s political crisis. For the South American countries, the new leadership should seek a balanced performance, without political bias, and to work to bring up the countries that have moved away from the entity in recent years.

Ramdin’s election demonstrates the strength of Latin American diplomatic articulation and represents a setback for Trump’s interests in the region. Now, it remains to be seen whether the new secretary-general will be able to restore the OAS credibility and consolidate it as a genuine multilateral cooperation space in the Americas.

Context and global implications

In addition to the impacts on Latin America, Ramdin’s victory in the OAS can reverberate in a broader scenario. The rise of progressive leaders in the region and the search for greater diplomatic autonomy challenges the traditional US influence on the continent’s multilateral organizations. At the same time, Ramdin’s election signals a coordinated movement of South American countries in favor of more balanced multilateralism and less subordinate to external interests.

In the long run, Ramdin’s leadership can redefine the role of the OAS in the mediation of regional crises and the strengthening of hemispheric cooperation, especially in the face of challenges such as climate change, migration and sustainable development. The immediate challenge, however, will be to consolidate the legitimacy of the OAS as a reliable forum for dialogue between the countries of the Americas, avoiding polarizing that marked its performance in recent years.