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COLOMBIA AND ECUADOR HIGHLIGHT ROLE OF OAS IN ISSUES OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE TO HEMISPHERE

The Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS) today welcomed the new Permanent Representative of Colombia, Ambassador Luis Alfonso Hoyos Aristizábal, and bid farewell to the Ambassador of Ecuador, Efrén Cocíos, who served as Permanent Representative of his country at the OAS for more than two years.

During their respective remarks, both diplomats highlighted the role of the OAS and of its basic principles in addressing issues of critical significance to maintaining peace in the hemisphere, as well as the peaceful resolution of conflict and the promotion of democracy and human rights in the Americas.

During a regular session of the Permanent Council of the OAS, the Colombian ambassador stressed Colombia’s role as a nation committed to peace and the peaceful resolution of conflict, and he named drug trafficking, terrorism and international organized crime as threats to democracy in the hemisphere.

Moreover, the diplomat, who in his own country served as Senior Presidential Advisor in charge of Social Action and International Cooperation, said that “in regards to the social sphere there are fundamental ways to overcome historic problems of poverty and inequality that afflict many residents of our countries. For that reason, I stress today that we are deeply committed to an agenda of cooperation that would strengthen social issues.”

Hoyos Aristizábal indicated that Colombia is committed to three “fundamental pillars”: democratic security, investment with social responsibility and social cohesion.

Referring to the case of Honduras, the Colombian Ambassador reiterated the words of Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, in essence, that Colombia backs the mediation of Costa Rica’s President, Óscar Arias, who has also received the support of the OAS.

“We are being called as an Organization to continue to work for the improvement of democracy in the hemisphere, in unison, along the road of integration starting from our differences,” he concluded. “We remain convinced that we must achieve a conciliatory agenda rooted in democracy, in the Rule of Law and our liberties.”

Hoyos Aristizábal is a lawyer and graduate of the Universidad del Rosario, with postgraduate studies in Political Science from the Sorbonne University in Paris, and a Master of Business Administration from Andes University. In addition to his service in the government of President Álvaro Uribe, he was senator of Chile from 1994 to 1998, and Vice President of a Senate committee in charge of National Defense, International Trade and Foreign Relations.

The Ambassador of Ecuador bid farewell to his counterparts in the OAS, indicating that he has intentions of “returning to my private professional activities and eventually to fulfill some other important public function offered by the President within my country.”

He described his service at the OAS with the following words: “During these last two years there have been important events inside our Organization,” he said. “We need only recall the resolutions issued in the last conflict between Ecuador and Colombia, the lifting of Cuba’s suspension and the uncompromising defense of democracy and the Rule of Law in Honduras to show that the OAS is a living hemispheric organism, modern and well adapted to our new times.”

Reference: E-251/09