December 1, 2023
The Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) of the Organization of American States (OAS) deployed for the 2023 elections in Guatemala received the Wilson Award for Public Service, a recognition granted by the Wilson Center for the work carried out by the OAS Mission, which in the opinion of the institution has “tirelessly fought to ensure that the will of voters is recognized and the transition of power is not interrupted.”
The award, presented at the Wilson Center Gala in Miami in the United States, was received by the OAS Secretary for Strengthening Democracy, Francisco Guerrero. In his acceptance remarks, Secretary Guerrero, on behalf of Secretary General, Luis Almagro, highlighted that “this award is not only a recognition of the effort and dedication of the Organization, but also a recognition of the value and use of multilateralism and the Inter-American System in the defense and promotion of democracy.”
For his part, the Director of the Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO) of the OAS, Gerardo de Icaza, who accompanied the award ceremony, thanked the work carried out by the Chief of the Mission, former Foreign Minister of Paraguay, Eladio Loizaga, and valued the work of the 177 observers who were part of the OAS/EOM in Guatemala and the team of the General Secretariat and DECO for their tireless commitment and work since the month of February.
Since 1962, the OAS has deployed 314 Electoral Observation Missions in 28 countries in the Americas.