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OAS Permanent Council Holds a Minute of Silence and Expresses “Profound Sorrow” at Death of Néstor Kirchner

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) today held a minute of silence and expressed profound sorrow at the death of former President of Argentina Néstor Kirchner, who passed away today.

In a statement passed unanimously during today’s regular session, the Permanent Council of the Organization “conveys its condolences” to the relatives of former President Kirchner, to the Argentine people and their Government over his “sensitive and unexpected death,” in the words of the Chair of the Council and Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the OAS, Joaquín Maza.

In the approved text, the Permanent Council recognized his “leadership and brilliant political career, his valuable contribution to the strengthening of democratic principles, and his unflagging dedication to the observance and promotion of human rights in the Hemisphere.

The Member State body of representatives called former President Kirchner a “leader, statesman, and democrat,” and recognized him as a “tireless defender of human rights, democratic values, integration and peace in the Americas.”

The Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Albert R. Ramdin, said former President Kirchner “played an important role in the political landscape of the country, but also of the region as a whole. He was deeply involved in finding fitting solutions to the sensitive issues facing South America. We offer our condolences to his wife, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, his family and the people of Argentina.”

The interim representative of Argentina to the OAS, Martín Gómez Bustillo, said his “country is in mourning” and thanked “the show of support and affection during these painful times that my country is going through, upon losing a beloved son of Argentine democracy and an indefatigable defender of human rights at the continental level.”

The representatives of Ecuador (in the name of the ALADI Group), Belize (in representation of SICA), Jamaica (on behalf of CARICOM), Canada, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay and Venezuela also spoke during the meeting to express their condolences.

From Paris, where he is meeting with government authorities and international organizations, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza expressed his condolences to President Cristina Fernandez and remembered the former Argentine president as a man “who courageously faced a difficult period in the history of his country and led his country again towards a path of growth and political stability.”

A photo gallery of the event will be available here soon here.

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

Reference: E-404/10