Patino talks about ISHR and analysts disagree on his speech

Ricardo Patino

Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said in a press conference that Ecuador will remain in the Inter-American System of Human Rights (ISHR) and called a historical success the results of the last Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), held last Friday in Washington (United States).

Subsequently announced that the reform proposals made by the country, with the support of the members of the ALBA, are still pending, focusing on changing the location of the entity. This and more, he said, will be discussed in June at a new conference of member states. When asked about his warning to withdraw Ecuador of the ISHR, Patino said that once the dialogue was open to discuss reforms, “there is no reason to withdraw from the system.”

After his speech in Washington and the final results of the meeting, Patino said he was satisfied with them, but Juan Pablo Alban, formerly of the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR, disagrees with the chancellor. “The OAS resolution says nothing about the precautionary measures, there was never a disposition to change the IACHR headquarters, the resolution allows voluntary contributions to continue. Don’t know what victory he talks about.”

Alban noted that prolong the debate until the next Ordinary Assembly of the OAS, which would be in Guatemala in June, will not help. “Countries will not change their positions.”

Meanwhile, Jorge Sosa, Professor of Human Rights at the Catholic University of Guayaquil, Ecuador argued that the backup failed to change key points, and said it is possible that in the next Assembly of the OAS, Ecuador will leave the system because “it does not approved what they ask.”