Media Center

Press Release

OAS Secretary General Remembers Orlando Letelier and the Continued Validity of his Democratic Principles

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, emphasized the value of commitment that should exist between the politicians and the fundamental principles of democracy, during a memorial ceremony to mark 36 years since the assassination of Orlando Letelier and Ronni Moffitt, in the attack of September 21, 1976, in Washington, just tens of yards from the Chilean embassy.

At an memorial service to remember the dramatic event, organized by the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, Insulza recalled the intense years of the '70s, when for the first time in the history of Chile, a socialist president, Salvador Allende, was elected, whose government would be followed by a military coup that brought deaths, disappearances, arrests and exile to the followers of the ousted president.

The Secretary General, in his address, said that few men so clearly symbolize the commitment of a man to his democratic principles like Orlando Letelier. "When President Allende called him, in the most difficult moments of his government, to take the post of Minister of Defense, Orlando did not hesitate, and immediately accepted," he recalled. "Orlando was like that, he didn’t think about himself, only about what the country needed, and he didn’t think twice," he said.

To Insulza, the committed attitude of that acceptance reflected the greatness of a politician who put the interests of his country before his own, an attitude that in his view, is an example that should prevail in those dedicated to public service.

In his remembrance of Letelier, Insulza stressed the importance his work took on once he left in 1974, from prison to exile. "In a few months he became one of the most significant Chilean opposition figures in exile, as his presence in international political circles, and his active work attracted significant support to the cause of democracy against dictatorship," which emphasized the international isolation of Pinochet's dictatorship. His political activity, added Insulza, "in a key place, where the dictatorship thought much of their external support lay," caused fear and discomfort in the military junta which decided to include him in its list of targets.

Secretary General Insulza recalled that Letelier "was only 44 years old" when he was killed, but he was already a man who, "because of his intelligence, his charisma, his ability to convince, to dialogue, for his belief in democracy, became one of the worst enemies of those opposed to democracy, because when confronted with those attributes, they had no answer," only violence, he said.

Finally, Insulza, who met Orlando Letelier during the government of Salvador Allende, said the great personal attributes of Letelier, remain valid today: "his courage in defending his principles, his intelligent contributions, his calm way of dealing with difficult situations, his attitude always open to dialogue and agreements, his contagious enthusiasm and his joy in living and serving, made Orlando an indispensable figure, one we still miss, " he admitted.

The event was held in Sheridan Circle, the site of the attack in the center of Washington DC, and was attended by the Ambassador of Chile to the White House, Felipe Bulnes, the representative of the Institute for Policy Studies, Sarah Anderson, the Coordinator of the Center for Latin American Studies at American University, Alexander Wilde, and the Director of Latin American Studies of the Council on Foreign Relations, Julia Sweig, along with dozens of Chileans and U.S. citizens.



A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-330/12