April 19, 2005 [LINK]

OAS conclave

Even before the meeting of cardinals in Rome to choose the next pope began, the Organization of American States was trying to reach a consensus on who should replace Miguel Angel Rodriguez, the former president of Costa Rica who resigned under cloud of scandal in November. Unlike the conclave in Rome, the delegates to this gathering in Washington are not sequestered or held incommunicado, thus leaving plenty of room for juicy intrigues. The U.S. favorite, Francisco Flores, (former president of El Salvador) withdrew his name a week ago, and now Jose Miguel Insulza, the interior minister of Chile has a slight advantage against the other remaining candidate, Mexican foreign minister Luis Ernesto Derbez. Indicative of the current political climate, opposition to U.S. policies seems to be a prime consideration for the post. See the April 10 and April 12 Washington Post. The next meeting will be on May 2.