Ramdin will have to deal with Trump in the US, and regional crises, such as in Nicaragua, which also left the OAS; Venezuela and Cuba, which do not participate in the organization; and Haiti, plagued by violence from criminal gangs.

Suriname's Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin was elected Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Monday (10.03.2025), replacing Uruguayan Luis Almagro.

The 67-year-old career diplomat was elected by acclamation by the 34 countries with the right to vote at an extraordinary general assembly of the organization held in Washington, United States.

He will take office in May and become the first Caribbean Secretary General of the OAS.

ONLY CANDIDATE FOR THE POSITION

Ramdin was the only candidate in the race, after his only rival, Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, dropped out after a group of countries announced their support for Ramdin.

The Surinamese minister, who served as deputy secretary general of the organisation between 2005 and 2015, was guaranteed more than 20 votes in the election, in which he needed 18 to be elected.

He also had the full support of Caricom, made up of 14 Caribbean countries that are also part of the OAS.

CHALLENGES OF THE NEW SECRETARY GENERAL

She will also lead the organization amid the reform campaign promoted by President Donald Trump in the United States since he returned to the White House on January 20.

The Republican leader withdrew his country, one of the main financial contributors to the OAS, from international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and asked his adviser Elon Musk to drastically cut federal spending.

Ramdin will also have to deal with regional crises, such as in Nicaragua, which also left the OAS; Venezuela, which like Cuba does not participate in the organization; and Haiti, which is plagued by violence from criminal gangs.