WHAT exactly is the Organisation of American States (OAS) for?
For much of its 57-year history, the answer has been: not much. It has a fine mansion in Washington, DC, and a famously lavish pension scheme, both mainly paid for by the United States. In return, the 34-member organisation did Washington’s bidding in its backyard. In recent years, as democracy has spread across Latin America, the OAS has stirred. It has helped to protect democratic rule in several countries. In 2001, it adopted a Democratic Charter. This committed its members to representative democracyand to take diplomatic action where this breaks down or is damaged by unconstitutional actions. Sadly, in some Latin American countries, democracy still needs succour. This week, Bolivia was in chaos: the president resigned, for the third and seemingly final time, driven out by radical protesters who want the country’s gas industry nationalise. They are supportedand, claims the United States, financedby Hugo Chvez, Venezuela’s elected president, who has eroded pluralism and civil rights
