🤝 Progressives (and China) win at the OAS

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Lula leads progressive charge against Trump at the OAS

Even if Donald Trump continues to dominate the headlines, progressives scored a diplomatic victory at the Organization of American States (OAS) on Monday as Albert Ramdin of Suriname was elected secretary general, defeating two right-wingers with closer ties to the White House.

👉 Why it matters. The OAS has historically been seen as a pro-Washington body, and the timing of the election meant that Trump had an opportunity to push for a local partner to head the organization. But left-leaning governments showed that they are still a majority in the region and teamed up to secure a friendlier option.

Progressive bloc. The turning point came in Montevideo, where regional leaders gathered for center-left Uruguay President Yamandú Orsi’s inauguration. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil reportedly organized a dinner with other progressives in the region — including Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, Chile’s Gabriel Boric and Honduras’s Xiomara Castro — sharing his fears about how a Trump-aligned OAS candidate might put them on the defensive.

U-turns. The group came out of the meeting announcing their support for Ramdin, changing the race’s momentum and making others reconsider their position. Orsi, who was reportedly favoring Paraguay’s conservative candidate, switched sides hours later. Shortly after, Mexico also hopped onto the Ramdin train. 

• The final blow for conservatives came when Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic — all ruled by right-wingers — threw in the towel one day later, announcing that they would also back Ramdin.

Friend-zoned. “In these last few days, and in an abrupt and inexplicable manner, Paraguay was informed by friendly countries in the region, with whom we share a common history, that they backtracked on their initial commitment to our country and decided not to support our proposal,” a press release from Paraguay’s government lamented. 

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