Reps. Bush, Johnson Urge State Department to Support Investigation of Possible Wrongdoing by OAS Secretary General
Representatives Joined by Colleagues Reps. Wild, Omar, Schakowsky, Tlaib, Holmes Norton and Pressley
Washington D.C. (Apr. 5, 2023) — Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) joined Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) and six other members of Congress in calling for a deeper investigation into troubling allegations of wrongdoing and unethical behavior by Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro, who is already the focus of a probe into an apparently inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.
In a letter sent today to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) Francisco O. Mora, Rep. Johnson and his colleagues express concern about other, more troubling actions, including Almagro’s undermining the work of an anti-corruption body in Honduras; his removal of a top human rights official for political reasons; and his vocal support for unfounded claims of electoral fraud in Bolivia’s 2019 election, which thereby triggered a political crisis with lethal consequences.
“In order to help fully restore the credibility and reputation of the OAS in the region, [we] respectfully ask that you instruct the newly confirmed representative of the US at the OAS to use his voice and vote to support additional independent investigations into these alleged cases of wrongdoing by the OAS Secretary General,” the members of Congress wrote in the letter.
Other members who signed the letter are Representatives Susan Wild (PA-07), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) and Ayanna Pressley (MA-07).
To read the full letter in English, click HERE. To read the letter in Spanish, click HERE.
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