Costa Rica leader asks OAS chief to resign

[arcos]

Costa Rica leader asks OAS chief to resign

Costa Rica's president on Monday asked his predecessor, Miguel Angel Rodriguez, to resign as secretary-general of the Organization of American States because of alleged payments from a government contractor.

"For the good name of Costa Rica and of the OAS itself, I ask that you immediately leave the post of secretary and return to the country" to face the allegations, President Abel Pacheco said in a publicly released letter to Rodriguez. He also asked that Rodriguez formally resign because of the "extremely grave accusations" against him.

Pacheco said Rodriguez has not adequately explained money that a former colleague said came from the French telecommunications company Alcatel as a "prize" for a $149 million contract in 2001 for 400,000 cellular telephone lines.

In his letter, Pacheco demanded that Rodriguez respond "in a clear, satisfactory and complete manner before the competent judicial organizations."

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http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/9833662.htm

[htuttle]

1. Ah....a little bit of moolah to keep quiet about Haiti...

But the guy was seen to be a US stooge from the start.

ps. Should that be 'moolah' or 'mullah'? Did I use the right word?

:evilgrin:

[arcos]

2. what do you mean?

I didn't understand :P

[htuttle]

3. OAS (aka, the Dept of Colonies) was supposed to be investigating...

...the coup that deposed Aristide in Haiti. It seemed to require a lot of arm twisting by CARICOM to get the OAS to even begin the investigation.

And what has happened to it? The investigation seems to have been swallowed up by a bureaucratic black hole somewhere at the OAS executive offices. So many of Aristide's colleagues and followers have now been killed since the coup, who is going to be left to interview about the events surrounding the coup? Jodel Chamblain?

Given that France and the US were behind the coup in Haiti, it stands to reason they'd see to it that parties who were cooperative in thwarting the investigation would get some recompense.

Just standard bidnez practices -- if you're a mobster or a politician.

[arcos]

4. hrmm... no, this is absolutely real...

Miguel Angel Rodríguez is one of the most corrupt politicians in Costa Rica, and long time neoliberal ideologue.

Althought former Presidents have been "untouchable", the media and several new prosecutors in Costa Rica have been investigating corruption cases like this. Sure, this may somehow help to postpone and cover-up investigations, but it's just a consequence, not the reason for this findings.