Presidents and prime ministers of 24 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean defended in a public letter addressed to the UN Security Council that the organization's next secretary-general be someone from Latin America.
The document organized by Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) managed to gather signatures such as those of President Lula (PT), Argentine Javier Milei, Peruvian Keiko Fujimori and Venezuelan interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, something, to say the least, unlikely in the current regional situation.
In the letter, the heads of state and government say that Latin America is recognized as a region marked by peace, a zone free of nuclear weapons, and a region that fosters relations of friendship and cooperation, fundamental values for the next secretary general, who will succeed the Portuguese António Guterres, ten years ago.
"The time has come for a person from Latin America and the Caribbean to take on the responsibility of occupying the position of Secretary General of the UN, in coherence with the principle of geographic balance and with the strengthening of diversity in the management of the organization, says the text.
The UN is facing a mess in trying to choose its next leader. Guterres leaves office at the end of December. The period for a transition is shortening, and so far the members of the Security Council have not been able to reach consensus on any name to take to the General Assembly, where it would be endorsed.
There are eight candidates vying for the position. Five of them are from Latin America and the Caribbean: Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica), Rafael Grossi (Argentina), Carolyn Rodrigues Burkett (Guyana), María Fernanda Espinosa (Ecuador) and Ivonne A-Baki (Ecuador). The only ones with a real chance are the top three, with Grynspan ahead.
On the 19th, there will be a new vote in the Security Council between these names, this time with colored ballots, which make it possible to differentiate permanent members (the "P5": China, United States, France, United Kingdom and Russia) from the remaining ten rotating members. No candidate is elected if they have a veto from one of the P5.
This week, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, hinted that it is possible to reach an agreement in the coming weeks with the names that are already in dispute, without the need to insert new candidates to form consensus.
In recent weeks, two names have entered the race. First, that of United Arab Emirates diplomat Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, a young woman of Palestinian descent who caught everyone's attention. But evidence that his country supported militias in Sudan, in civil war, deflated his candidacy.
Then, that of the Turkish Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu, the last to enter the race, whose name has not yet been placed in any vote. Diplomat Olara Otunnu, from Uganda, is still running for the position.
The UN has had nine secretaries-general since 1946. Four were from Europe. Two from Africa. Two others, from Asia. And one from Latin America: Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, who led the organization from 1982 to 1991.
At the beginning of the dispute for the position, Brazil launched, with Mexico, the name of the former president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet. But she dropped out of the race after the first informal votes in the Security Council showed her name had very little support.
Brasília must not express nominal support for any other candidate, but must continue to defend that it is someone from Latin America, as shown in the presidents' letter. A few weeks ago, another similar letter, but signed by chancellors from the region, was also published.
Rebeca Grynspan, the name that has been standing out in the votes, was vice-president of Costa Rica and is now head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development. Rafael Grossi, from Argentina, is director of the International Atomic Energy Agency. And Carolyn Rodrigues Burkett is Guyana's permanent representative to the UN.
