Luis Almagro

Luis Almagro was first elected Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS) on March 18, 2015, with the support of 33 of the 34 member states and one abstention. He was re-elected for a second term on March 20, 2020. Upon assuming office, he declared “more rights for more people” as the guiding principle of his administration, emphasising his commitment to be “the voice of the voiceless.”

As Secretary General, Almagro has consistently prioritised the defense of democracy and human rights. He has taken firm stances in the face of violations, notably in Venezuela, where he became the first OAS Secretary General to invoke Article 20 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.His principled approach to multilateral diplomacy has shaped his active engagement in several regional crises. He has played a key role in addressing the democratic crisis in Nicaragua, elevated the issue of democratic restoration in Cuba, and expanded the Organisation’s support for peace initiatives in Colombia through the Mission to Support the Peace Process (MAPP).

Almagro also spearheaded the establishment of the Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH), the OAS’s first anti-corruption mission of its kind, and significantly broadened the scope of OAS electoral observation missions, including historic first-time deployments to the United States and Brazil. Almagro’s efforts have further extended to facilitating elections in Haiti, mediating the migration crisis between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and intensifying diplomatic engagement in the territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala.

Before leading the OAS, Almagro served as Uruguay’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2015, during which he advanced several notable humanitarian and diplomatic initiatives, including the resettlement of former Guantanamo detainees and the reception of Syrian refugee families. Over a 20-year diplomatic career, he held senior positions representing Uruguay in Iran, Germany, and UNESCO, and served as Ambassador to China from 2007 to 2010. He was elected Senator in Uruguay’s 2014 national elections.

A lawyer by training, Almagro is fluent in Spanish, English, and French.