Peace Programs

Friends of the Democratic Charter

The Friends of the Democratic Charter group is composed of former presidents, prime ministers, and Cabinet ministers from the Western Hemisphere who seek to increase the visibility of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and to prevent democratic tensions from erupting into crises. The friends visit countries to assess democratic tensions, encourage citizens and governments to make use of international resources to defend their democracies and resolve constitutional conflicts, and recommend ways for the OAS to apply the Charter in a constructive and preventative manner.  The Carter Center serves as secretariat for the Friends.

Formed in 2004, the friends have conducted assessment missions to Nicaragua in 2005 during its constitutional crisis, Paraguay in 2008, Ecuador in 2009, Venezuela in 2008 during its constitutional referendum, Costa Rica in 2009 to meet President Oscar Arias on the Honduras crises, El Salvador twice in 2009 for the presidential elections, and Honduras in 2009 after the coup. The friends have provided private assessments to the OAS secretary general and other hemispheric officials, recommendations to the OAS General Assembly on the use of the Charter and engagement of civil society with the OAS, and public statements/recommendations on such issues as Nicaragua's controversial 2008 elections, the 2009 debate over the lifting of Cuba's suspension from the OAS, and the international community's response to the Honduran coup in 2009. Finally, the friends conducted eight workshops for civil society groups around the hemisphere in 2005-2007 to increase awareness of the Democratic Charter and international tools available to help strengthen democracies.

Members

Diego Abente Brun, former Minister of Justice and Labor of Paraguay

Nicolás Ardito Barleta, former President of Panama

Carlos Ayala Corao, former President Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

Patricio Aylwin, former President of Chile

Cecilia Blondet, former Minister for the Advancement of Women and Human Development of Peru

Humberto de la Calle, former Vice President of Colombia

Dante Caputo, former Foreign Minister of Argentina

Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil

Fernando Carrillo-Flórez, former Minister of Justice of Colombia

Jorge Castañeda, former Foreign Secretary of Mexico

Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States of America

Joe Clark, former Prime Minister of Canada

Peter DeShazo, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs of U.S. State Department

Alejandro Foxley, former Foreign Minister of Chile

Diego García-Sayán, former Foreign Minister of Peru

John Graham, Chair Emeritus, Canadian Foundation for the Americas

Osvaldo Hurtado, former President of Ecuador

Torquato Jardim, former Justice of the Superior Electoral Tribunal of Brazil

Luis Alberto Lacalle, former President of Uruguay

John Manley, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada

Barbara McDougall, former Minister of External Affairs of Canada

John Maisto, former U.S Ambassador to the OAS

Maria Emma Mejía, former Foreign Minister of Colombia

Pedro Nikken, former President Inter-American Court for Human Rights, Venezuela

Robert Pastor, former Director of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, National Security Council, United States

Andrés Pastrana, former President of Colombia

Sonia Picado, former Justice of  Inter-American Court of Human Rights

Sergio Ramirez, former Vice-President of Nicaragua

Arthur Robinson, former President of Trinidad and Tobago

Maria Isabel Salvador, former Foreign Minister of Ecuador

Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, former Prime Minister of Barbados

Jorge Santistevan, former Human Rights Ombudsman of Peru

Eduardo Stein, former Vice President of Guatemala

Fernando Tuesta Soldevilla, former Director National Office of Electoral Processes, Peru

Joaquín Villalobos, Founder of the Farabundo Marti Nacional Liberation Front (FMNL), Signatory of the Peace Agreements of El Salvador in 1992

On Leave for Official Service

Mariclaire Acosta, former Undersecretary of Foreign Relations for Human Rights and Democracy of Mexico

Elizabeth Spehar, former Executive Coordinator of the OAS Unit for Promotion of Democracy, Canada

Read More About the Friends' Work:

Dec. 4, 2009
Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter Submit Letter to OAS on Honduras
This letter was distributed today from The Carter Center and The Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter to the Permanent Representatives of the OAS prior to their planned discussion on Honduras.

Oct. 24, 2009
Statement by The Carter Center and Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter in Honduras
Upon completing two days of interviews with a range of political actors and representatives of Honduran society, the delegation from The Carter Center and the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter group share their findings and initial insights in the statement below, and they reiterate their commitment to the promotion of democracy and to effective international support and vigilance.

June 30, 2009
Statement by the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter on the Honduran Coup, Sunday, June 28, 2009 (English and Spanish versions)
Faced with the occurrence of the coup d'état in the Republic of Honduras, Sunday, June 28, We, the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, express our great concern for the rupture of the constitutional order in the Republic of Honduras that took place on June 28, 2009.

May 19, 2009
Cuba: Letter by The Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter to Organization of American States Secretary General Insulza
Knowing the special importance that the relations with Cuba hold on the hemispheric agenda, we address you in our capacity as Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. Our purpose is to share some reflections that we believe are fundamental to the analysis and development of an institutional strategy underpinning a gradual rapprochement between the Organization of American States (OAS) and Cuba.

April 3, 2009
Statement on El Salvador by The Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter
The Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter have followed the recent Presidential elections in El Salvador with particular interest.  We congratulate president-elect Mauricio Funes and his FMLN party, as well as Rodrigo Avila for his rapid and unhesitating acceptance of the verdict of the Salvadoran people as announced by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

Oct. 23, 2008
Statement on the Status of Democracy in Nicaragua by the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter
We, the undersigned Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, committed to the promotion and defense of the values and principles in the Charter and attentive to democratic development in the Western hemisphere, express our deep concern for the recent events and acts in Nicaragua.


Nov. 27, 2007
The Venezuelan´s Dilemma
This open letter to Venezuelan citizens about the scheduled Dec. 2 referendum was written and signed by recognized Latin American democrats and former leaders.

April 27, 2006
Friends of Inter-American Democratic Charter Bolster Mandate
Select former government officials with expert perspectives on democracy and stability in the Western Hemisphere gathered at The Carter Center April 25-26 to bolster their mandate as Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.

May 2, 2005
Miami Herald Op-Ed: Friends of Democratic Charter Urge Early Intervention, Disclosure of Violations
This op-ed was published in the May 2, 2005, edition of The Miami Herald. More than a dozen presidents in the hemisphere in the past 20 years have failed to complete their term.