Suriname's candidate for the position of Secretary General is backed by Lula, Boric, Petro, Evo Morales, and Orsi.
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On March 10, the Organization of American States (OAS) will elect its new Secretary General, and the international left, with the support of socialists Lula da Silva, Gabriel Boric, Gustavo Petro, Evo Morales, and Yamandú Orsi, is closer than ever to taking control of the organization.
Albert Ramdin, current Foreign Minister of Suriname and with a concerning trajectory aligned with socialism, is emerging as the favorite candidate thanks to the support of Caribbean countries and leftist governments in the region.
His potential election would mean a threat to the independence of the OAS and would benefit the leftist dictatorial regimes in Latin America.
Ramdin, former Assistant Secretary General of the OAS (2005-2015), also built a close relationship with China throughout his career. His candidacy has been openly supported by the Chinese regime, and he has secured the vote of the 14 Caribbean countries, as well as Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay, whose leftist governments support Beijing's strategy.
On the other side is Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, Foreign Minister of Paraguay, a country that has resisted the advances of communism in the region and maintains relations with Taiwan instead of submitting to China.
Albert Ramdin, candidato a secretario general de la OEA.
Ramírez has shown closeness to US President Donald Trump and has even been invited to Mar-a-Lago. His possible support base includes El Salvador, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama, countries seeking to resist the expansion of the socialist agenda in the OAS.
The danger for the United States and Latin America
The United States funds more than 50% of the OAS budget, contributing around 53 million dollars annually. Additionally, the organization's headquarters is in Washington D.C., which would make it even more alarming for China, through Ramdin, to take control of the institution. Beijing's interference in a key regional organization would represent a direct threat to security and stability in the West.
President Trump has been one of the main critics of China's expansion in Latin America, as in the case of the Panama Canal, warning about its dangers since the beginning of his first administration.
If Ramdin prevails in the OAS, China could use the organization to consolidate its presence in the region, facilitate the access of Chinese state-owned enterprises to Latin American markets, and promote the agenda of socialist dictatorships in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.
Ramdin: an ally of dictatorships
The statements and actions of Albert Ramdin make clear his favorable stance toward authoritarian regimes. On several occasions, he has insisted that the only way to address the crisis in Venezuela is through "dialogue" with dictator Nicolás Maduro, ignoring the human rights violations and the brutal repression against the opposition.
In contrast, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano has argued that the OAS must work for Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua to return to democracy and have legitimate governments.
Ramdin's connections with China are not new. In 2006, when he was Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, he traveled to Beijing and stated that his goal was to "expand and deepen" the relationship between China and the OAS. Since then, he has been an unwavering advocate of rapprochement with the Chinese regime.
In 2015, upon returning to Suriname to take the position of Foreign Minister, he further consolidated ties with Beijing. As a result, Suriname became one of the first Caribbean countries to fall into China's debt trap.
Albert Ramdin, el candidato de los gobiernos de izquierda.
In 2023, almost 20% of the country's public debt was in China's hands, choking its economy and forcing its government to accept draconian conditions imposed by Beijing.
In November 2023, in an interview with the Chinese state media Global Times, Ramdin reaffirmed his loyalty to China, stating: "We recognize only one China and firmly support that principle". He also admitted that Suriname's diplomatic missions in Washington and New York work "hand in hand" with those of China, highlighting Beijing's dangerous influence in the region.
By the end of 2024, Suriname, already economically subjugated by China, was forced to restructure its debt with the Chinese Exim Bank, to which it owed 476 million dollars, with 140 million in arrears. It also maintained an additional debt of 68 million dollars with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
A Chinese Trojan horse in the OAS?
If Ramdin reaches the OAS Secretary General position, it would open the door for China to further expand its control in Latin America, using the organization to advance its geopolitical agenda. Leftist governments and authoritarian regimes could consolidate their power with the complicity of the OAS, further weakening democracy in the region.
It is essential that countries still defending freedom and sovereignty on the continent prevent the international left and China from taking control of the OAS. Ramdin's election would not only be a strategic mistake for the region, but it would also jeopardize the independence of the organization and its mission to promote democracy in the Americas.
