WASHINGTON, USA – The high-level group appointed by the permanent council of the Organization of American States (OAS) to analyze the situation in Peru, Tuesday concluded its interviews in the country, calling for dialogue among all Peruvian political actors.
Following its visit to Lima, the Group will prepare a report with the corresponding analysis and it will as soon as possible present it to the Permanent Council of the Organization at its headquarters in Washington, DC to fulfill the mandate received. While the report is being prepared in a timely manner, the mission will continue to monitor the situation and remains at the disposal of all stakeholders.
In two days of work, the high-level group held 27 meetings to fulfill its objective of listening to as many representative voices from Peru as possible. All meetings took place in an atmosphere of cordiality and maximum respect for the Constitution, sovereignty, the rule of law, institutions and, above all, Peruvian citizenship. The Group received from all its interlocutors a large quantity of very valuable information, on which it refrained from expressing an opinion, and which it will now process to prepare its report.
The mission met with the president of the Republic, the vice-president and part of her cabinet; the president and vice-presidents of Congress; the president of the judiciary and two magistrates of the Supreme Court; the president and five magistrates of the Constitutional Court; the attorney-general; the 13 parliamentary groups represented in Congress and the non-grouped deputies; electoral authorities; the Ombuds’office; the Peruvian Episcopal Conference; professional organizations of lawyers, journalists; labor unions; and civil society organizations.
In addition, the Group received other points of view on the situation in the country, in writing, which will also be processed in the preparation of the report.
The members of the Group thank the Peruvian authorities for their openness and cooperation in enabling the mission to carry out its work. They also thank all stakeholders with whom they met for their willingness and constructive spirit in sharing information and their views on the situation in Peru.
The mission was composed of:
- Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Immigration of Belize;
- Arnoldo André, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica;
- Juan Carlos Holguín, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador;
- Mario Adolfo Búcaro, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala;
- Julio César Arriola, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay;
- Pablo Tettamanti, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Argentina;
- Laura Gil, Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs of Colombia;
- Eladio Loizaga, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay, representative of the OAS General Secretariat and spokesperson for the Group.
The Group was created after consultations carried out by the Chair of the OAS permanent council, ambassador Marten Schalkwijk, in follow-up to the provisions of resolution CP/RES. 1208 approved by the Council on October 20. In the operative paragraphs of the resolution, the OAS Permanent Council resolves:
“1. To express its solidarity and support for the democratically elected government of the Republic of Peru, as well as for preservation of the democratic political institutional process.
- To call upon all actors to frame their actions with the respect for the rule of law, recognizing that Article 2 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter states that “the effective exercise of representative democracy is the basis for the rule of law and of the constitutional regimes of the member states of the Organization of American States”.
- To express the willingness of the Organization of American States to give support and cooperation, at the request of the government of Peru, furthering efforts aimed at promoting dialogue and strengthening its democratic system of government.
- To appoint a high-level group, consisting of representatives of member states, and consistent with the Inter-American Democratic Charter, to visit Peru in order to analyze the situation and report to this Council.”
The special meeting of the permanent council was convened at the request of the government of Peru, and the resolution was approved by acclamation.
