Organization of American States (oas)

Organization of American States

The Organization of American States (OAS) brings together the countries of Western Hemisphere to strengthen cooperation and to advance common interests. It is the region's premier forum for multilateral dialogue and concerted action. The OAS helps in many different ways to make changes around the world. Actually the OAS is having a meeting in Ft. Lauderdale (Florida) and some of their actions are showing their interest to defend democracy and human rights around Latin America as for example in Venezuela. Furthermore, the OAS demonstrates interest in Strengthening Security, and combating illegal drugs in Colombia (South America); one of the most important things the OAS is focused on is the fostering free trade between countries' members association. This OAS meeting in Ft. Lauderdale is making history, focusing in the most critical problems that countries from Latin American are trying to combat.

The OAS plays a key role in strengthening democratic and human rights institutions and practices in the countries of the Americas. As for example in Venezuela during the meeting, the OAS shows their interest in the political tension that Venezuela is passing through after the last president elections. In Venezuela the opposition reclaims that past election was not totally legal, these accusations to Venezuelan's government made the OAS to worry about the status of democracy and human right protection to Venezuelan society. According to news article on the Miami Herald another fact which makes the OAS worry about Venezuela's situation is the actual President Chavez's hostility against the United States type of democracy. The OAS discuses all these conflicts during the recent meeting and finally Venezuela accepts the role in the OAS for non-governmental groups that evaluates countries where democracy is allegedly at risk, such as Venezuela.

The OAS is working on different limit borders to make Latin American countries safer, and they are also looking forward to prevent terrorism by strengthening control borders, by trying to eliminate drug trafficking and also by increasing security among law enforcement authorities in different countries. For example in Colombia (South America); during the meeting the OAS members discuss Colombian treaties to acquire national peace; this process supports, informs, helps and verifies initiatives from Colombian people to defend their social security in small regions of their territory.

Since OAS's creation, their main goal has been to create a hemisphere-wide trading zone, called Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). This zone has placed particular emphasis on ensuring that concerns of smaller economies are