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OAS Hosted Tribute by Leaders of the Inter-American System to Enrique Iglesias

The Organization of American States (OAS) hosted on Wednesday a tribute by many representatives of institutions of the inter-American system to Uruguayan economist and politician, Enrique Iglesias, whom the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, described as "the most important internationalist in the Americas."

During his presentation, Secretary General Insulza referred to Iglesias as the main builder of the inter-American system’s institutions and noted his participation in the development and strengthening of organizations, such as the OAS, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC), among others. "He participated in each and every one of them and strengthened them, allowing them to transcend those who head them," he said, adding that "aside from a master, he has been a friend who has always had time to give advice to those who requested it."

The ceremony, hosted by the OAS General Secretariat and organized by Secretary General Insulza himself, took place in the Hall of the Americas at the OAS headquarters in Washington, DC. Nearly one hundred guests from the region’s political, diplomatic and academic realm attended the event, which featured speeches by current leaders of the various institutions in which Iglesias had also participated. During his long and distinguished career, Iglesias was, among others, President of the Central Bank of Uruguay (1967-1968), Executive Secretary of ECLAC (1972-1985), Foreign Minister of Uruguay (1985-88), President of the IDB (1988-2005) and Ibero-American Secretary General (2005-2014).

In his speech, Enrique Iglesias, who was born in Spain but emigrated as a child to Uruguay, expressed appreciation for his peers’ recognition and recalled the lessons learned throughout his international career, such as the importance of the role of the State to ensure social justice, poverty reduction and equal opportunities, ensuring observance and respect for human rights. He considered that "societies change with the dreams of great utopias, great ideals, with their leaders' behavior and the growing participation of citizens."

"I believe in the future of Latin America and the Caribbean, because I am sure that it is possible to build a better, fairer, and safer society, a society that is tolerant and enriches itself with diversity, that supports education and culture to strengthen the freedom and resourcefulness of each of its members,” he asserted. Enrique Iglesias concluded by saying that "economic growth needs to be fully supported by ethical values that follow it with the spiritual enrichment of all individuals and the entire society. Development without identity, without any reference to culture, is an illusion and, as such, cannot last,” he added.

The Foreign Minister of Uruguay, Luis Almagro, a special guest invited to represent the country of adoption of Iglesias, recalled the contributions of Iglesias as the first President of the Uruguayan Central Bank and then as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the South American country. In this regard, he noted that Iglesias has been a mentor for generations of Uruguayans who joined both the economic and diplomatic world, both for his life lessons on ethics and for his experience in building a positive agenda. "Enrique Iglesias built bridges between regions and encouraged cooperation agencies to open paths toward development," he said.

Rebeca Grynspan, successor of Iglesias at the head of the Ibero-American General Secretariat, highlighted the role of her predecessor in improving the lives of peoples of all sectors he was involved in during his professional life. She also mentioned his crucial contributions to foster debate on matters such as the Third World, the environment, gender issues, youth, and culture. "This was always done with a great foresight, strict adherence to ethical principles and a transformative vision and depth that defined much of the good that has been established in Latin America and Ibero-America since the mid-twentieth century."

Meanwhile, the President of the IDB, Luis Alberto Moreno, who also succeeded Iglesias in this position, recognized him as an "exceptional leader of the cooperation of the peoples of Latin America." On his work as President of the IDB, he recalled that Iglesias' vision strengthened the IDB's mission as a financial institution with soul and a calling for regional service. "He was always committed to work for an institution that was attentive to the needs of the region, closely associated with it in the search for solutions and that had the necessary mechanisms to face the challenges of development together with the countries," he said.

Speaking in a taped message from Oslo, Norway, Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC), noted that during his tenure at the post she currently holds, Enrique Iglesias offered innovative responses to the needs of the region’s countries that are based on their own realities, along with his commitment to planning for development, underscoring the critical role of the State and encouraging the development of schools of thought from the region itself.

Meanwhile, Michael Shifter, President of the Inter-American Dialogue, a "think-tank" institution created by Iglesias' inspiration while he was Executive Secretary of ECLAC, recalled his involvement in the establishment, in the early 80s, of that center’s key programs, such as the education program, thus demonstrating his visionary appreciation of the conflicts to be faced by the region. He encouraged debates on other issues such as ethnic relations and security and violence in the region.

The President of the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), Enrique García, who identified himself as a "great friend of Iglesias," described him as a great negotiator, told anecdotes of his political life and defined him as a man of consensus who promoted culture as the foundation for supporting policies in the region, creating think-tanks institutions that are of utmost importance nowadays.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

The B-Roll of the event is available here.

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

Reference: E-354/14