They investigate the Secretary General of the OAS for alleged relationship with a subordinate

First modification: 10/08/2022 – 00:44

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States, OAS, Luis Almagro, faces an internal investigation after allegations that indicate that he has maintained an alleged intimate relationship with a subordinate, which would constitute a violation of the organization’s code of ethics.

According to a source cited by the EFE agency, the woman, whose name the OAS asked not to reveal, works in the Secretariat for the Strengthening of Democracy, so she would not be under Almagro’s command. On the other hand, the Associated Press agency, AP, highlights that the woman was born in Mexico and is two decades younger than the official.

The information that has transpired so far indicates that it would be a long-standing relationship and a situation described as “an open secret” among workers that has generated discomfort among some employees.

AP ensures that the alleged relationship has been confirmed by at least six people including former and current employees, and regional diplomats.

What does the internal regulations of the OAS say about it?

The process was recently opened and seeks to establish whether there was a violation of internal regulations.

Agency regulations state that “staff members and other service providers shall not allow any relationship with another staff member or service provider to interfere with the performance of their duties or disadvantage others in the workplace “.

Similarly, it details that if someone is in an intimate relationship with another staff member or service provider, they will be disqualified “to supervise or evaluate that person.” At the same time, he will not be able to take part in “any process in which an administrative decision is taken or examined that affects the interests of that person.”

However, the alleged courtship of the secretary general is a topic that was even part of the biographical book ‘Luis Almago. He doesn’t ask for forgiveness’, written by Martín Natalevich and Gonzalo Ferreira and published two years ago.

In interviews included in the book, Almagro refers to the woman identified in the investigation as someone who is part of his “closest circle” within the OAS. The text states that the woman had worked in the organization since before the official arrived and that their relationship began when Almagro was not yet part of the organization.

Almagro, 59, has been at the helm of the organization since 2015 and renewed for a second term in 2020.

Almagro would never have been the official’s direct supervisor

Gonzalo Espariz, spokesman for the OAS, indicated in an email that Almagro has never been a supervisor of any type of work for the woman in question and added that the director “never participated in any decision regarding the interests of this official within the OAS.” .

However, according to AP, in several online biographies, as well as in captions of some images taken in March and published on OAS social networks, the woman is described as “advisor” or “senior advisor” to the secretary general. .

However, the OAS press office assured that the official has been on unpaid leave since June without explaining the reasons.

The investigation comes only two weeks after the Inter-American Development Bank’s assembly of governors dismissed its president, Mauricio Claver-Carone, for having an intimate relationship with a subordinate.

This situation was made public after an external investigation carried out for months, following an anonymous complaint. The investigations showed that Claver-Carone did maintain the affair, something that transgresses the internal regulations of the organization.

Despite the decision to remove the official from his position, he continues to assure that he did not have a relationship and that there is no evidence to confirm that claim.

With EFE and AP