Pro-life Leaders Commend OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro for Stating That Right to Life is a Fundamental Right

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2020
CONTACT: Prudence Robertson
[email protected]

Thanks Trump Administration for Helping Clarify the Secretary General’s Stance on the Issue

Washington, D.C. – Pro-life leaders in the United States today commended the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro for saying last week at a forum for Secretary General candidates with civil society organizations that “definitely, the principles of religious freedom that I have mentioned and the principles of the right to life are fundamental principles and rights…”. Almagro is running for a second term.

The Secretary General added:

“[t]he application of the fullest validity of Article 4 of the American Convention [of Human Rights, which states that ‘[t]his right shall be protected by law and, in general, from the moment of conception’] is essential.”

Secretary General Almagro also responded to the criticism by progressive groups that pro-life groups are “anti-rights” groups by saying that “no one can be considered ‘anti-rights’ within this organization. The dialogue has to be respectful and absolutely inclusive.”

Pro-life leaders also thanked the Trump administration for helping to clarify the Secretary General’s position on the issue.

A coalition of U.S. based pro-life groups wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last year requesting that the U.S. withdraw its support of Almagro’s re-election bid over concerns regarding comments made by the Secretary General calling on countries in the region to legalize abortion.

The Trump administration responded swiftly by facilitating a dialogue between Secretary General Almagro and the coalition, in which the Secretary General explained the context of his previous statements and stated that it had not been his intention to say that there was a right to abortion or that member states should legalize it.  In this sense, he said it would be improper for him to weigh-in on the issue since it is an internal matter of member states.

“We appreciate Secretary General Almagro’s remarks and we hope they are heard throughout the region and the world.  He could not have been clearer: the right to life is a fundamental principle and right,” SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser.

“Secretary General Almagro’s statement shows that he fully understands that multilateral organizations like the OAS should respect the sovereignty of members states on matters of their internal jurisdiction such as the issue of abortion,” said Alfonso Aguilar, President of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles.

SBA List is a network of more than 837,000 pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.

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