Several civil society and political organizations in Latin America have intensified the call for the resignation of the secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro. The renewed calls have come following the historic victory of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) in the Bolivian elections that were held on October 18. The results have further vindicated the argument put forward by progressive groups across the world that there was no fraud committed in the elections held in October 2019 and that former president Evo Morales’s victory was legitimiate. Almagro and the OAS were instrumental in pushing the narrative of fraud which led to the coup that overthrew Morales, and also saw numerous human rights violations in the country.
The groups on social and mainstream media called out Almagro’s interventionist approach and have sought an investigation into his role in the destabilization of democracy in Bolivia.
OAS had called last years’ election of Evo Morales fraudulent which, according to the revised data published by the Latin American Strategic Center for Geopolitics (CELAG), has been proven wrong. The coup regime led by Jeanine Anez targeted and persecuted several MAS leaders and activists including Morales who had to go into exile.
We've got official results data for 13 voting centers where, in 2019, the OAS alleged that ALL of the tally sheets were fraudulent. Here's how things look in 2020 compared to 2019. pic.twitter.com/MjpkwIuFba
— Jake Johnston (@JakobJohnston) October 20, 2020
Morales issued a statement on Thursday and said that he will sue Almagro in the International Criminal Court (ICC), and demanded that he resign immediately. “Luis Almagro does not have the moral authority to direct the destinies of the OAS; he must resign. His hands are stained with Bolivian blood. If it does not do so, I ask the member states to initiate their disengagement under Article 116 of the OAS Charter,” Morales said in a series of tweets.
Luis Almagro no tiene autoridad moral para dirigir los destinos de la @OEA_oficial, debe renunciar. Sus manos están manchadas de sangre boliviana. Si no lo hace, solicito a los Estados Miembros que inicien su desvinculación al amparo del Artículo 116 de la Carta de la OEA.
— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) October 22, 2020
The groups which are demanding Almagro’s resignation include Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos or Bolivarian Alliance for the People of Our America (ALBA) and CODEPINK. They argue that Sunday’s landslide victory of MAS candidates Luis Acre and David Choquehuanca for president and vice-president respectively proves that there was no fraud in last year’s elections. The voting pattern for 86 precincts where OAS had specifically alleged fraud, has remained the same in this election as well. In fact, in some of these precincts, the MAS votes have increased in comparison to last year.
OAS head Luis Almagro does not have the moral authority to lead the OAS and should resign. His hands are stained with Bolivian blood. @evoespueblo https://t.co/Y4dF3MX3La
— Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) October 22, 2020
Several politicians from Latin America such as Dilma Rousseff, Rafael Correa and Jose Luis Zapatero, among others, have written to the OAS secretariat, saying that OAS’s insistence on classifying last year’s elections in Bolivia as fraudulent without clear evidence “unleashed a situation of political and social violence.”
The letter demands a thorough investigation of Almagro’s role “in the democratic destabilization of Bolivia.” It also argued that Almagro’s resignation is imminent because, “the exclusive relations he maintains with other countries in the area make him unable to continue exercising the role of democratic mediation and facilitation that he should play as head of such an important organization.”
