Insulza's Speech

From Secretary-General Insulza's inauguration speech:

Democracy requires free and fair elections and respect for the classic rights and freedoms. But democracy also demands an unwavering devotion to promoting absolute citizenship in which the people enjoy the fullest civil, social, and cultural rights. Indeed, the first article of the Inter-American Democratic Charter states that the peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy. Our duty is to guarantee that right, respecting the democratic rights of all citizens and safeguarding at all times the effective exercise of the rule of law.

Effective application of the Inter-American Democratic Charter is indispensable for the future of our democracies. The Organization needs instruments to enable it to anticipate possible crises and to take preventive action with governments, using dialogue to avert escalation of a crisis. Objective and practical mechanisms are required that enable us to evaluate how democracy is functioning in the member states. While respecting the autonomy that every sovereign democratic state enjoys, such mechanisms will also serve to enhance the workings of democracy, thereby improving the enabling environment for domestic peace and stability.

Correspondingly, we must be able to react and go to the defense of democracy whenever its principles and values collapse, swiftly putting into practice the political and diplomatic instruments that enable us to surmount crisis and work together to restore democracy.

It is up to the member countries to agree upon the mechanisms by which to fulfill the obligations that the Charter creates.

There's also good stuff on human rights, development, security, etc. Like most Secretary-General's he has come in looking to strengthen the OAS. I'm hoping for the best, because a strong OAS would be beneficial for the whole hemisphere.