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 recommend ways for the OAS to apply the charter in a constructive and preventative manner.

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
            Cass Ballenger, former Representative of the Unites States Congress
            Humberto de la Calle, former Vice President of Colombia
            Rodrigo Carazo, former President of Costa Rica
            Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil
            Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States of America
            Joe Clark, former Prime Minister of Canada
            Diego García-Sayán, former Foreign Minister of Peru
            Osvaldo Hurtado, former President of Ecuador
            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
            Maria Emma Mejía, former Foreign Minister of Colombia
            Pedro Nikken, former President, Inter-American Court for Human Rights, Venezuela
            Andrés Pastrana, former President of Colombia 
            Sonia Picado, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Institute of
            Human Rights
            Sergio Ramirez, former Vice-President of Nicaragua
            Arthur Robinson, former President of Trinidad and Tobago
            Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, former Prime Minister of Barbados
            Jorge Santistevan, former Human Rights Ombudsman of Peru
            Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico

Advisors

            Cecilia Blondet, former Minister for the Advancement of Women and        
            Human Development of Peru
            Fernando Carrillo-Flórez, Principal Advisor, Special Office in Europe,
            Inter-American Development Bank
            Peter DeShazo, Director, Americas Program, Center for Strategic and
            International Studies
            John Graham, Chair, Canadian Foundation for the Americas
            Fernando Tuesta Soldevilla, former Director, National Office of Electoral
            Processes, Peru
            Robert Pastor, former Director of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs
            National Security Council

On Leave for Official Service

            Mariclaire Acosta, former Undersecretary of Foreign Relations for Human Rights
            and Democracy of Mexico
            Dante Caputo, former Foreign Minister of Argentina
            Elizabeth Spehar, former Executive Coordinator of the OAS Unit for Promotion
            of Democracy, Canada

Read More About the Friends' Work:

23 October 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.


27 Nov 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.

27 Apr 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.

2 May 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.