At a time when some Latin American countries seem to have a tenuous hold on democracy, the Organization of American States has drawn a number of critics ahead of its leader's expected re-election.

The Human Rights Foundation issued a statement on March 9 calling for the resignation of OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza on the grounds that he has not actively enforced the organization's democratic charter. Human Rights Foundation general counsel Javier El-Hage pointed specifically to Insulza's handling of threats to free speech in Venezuela and the coup in Honduras last June.

"The secretary-general of the U.N. has absolutely no power to say anything about democracy of member states, but Insulza can express himself about both human rights and democratic rights," El-Hage said. "Insulza had a chance to mediate before and after the coup and didn't, and this misstep is a way of behaving that indicates how he responds to a crisis. Our contention is the issue of democracy is going to be completely off the agenda for the next five years if he is re-elected." The OAS was unavailable for comment in Insulza's defense.

Also opposed to Insulza's re-election is Rep. Connie Mack, R- Fla., who said Insulza "seems to favor" Fidel Castro's "thug-ocratic style" of government. Mack pointed to the recent removal of the ban against Cuba's membership in the OAS, and a failure to implement the Inter-American Charter in response to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez' suppression of free speech. The Charter, adopted by the OAS in 2001, requires its members to maintain functioning democratic institutions.

"It's a real shame that he's running unopposed, since he has been one of the biggest supporters of Hugo Chavez and countries that oppose freedom and democracy," said Mack, who is the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for the Western Hemisphere. "He will be in complete contrast to the charter of the organization."

U.S. Ambassador to the OAS Carmen Lomellin said she is waiting for guidance from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on how the U.S. will vote regarding Insulza's election.

"Could more be done on freedom of the press and human rights? Absolutely," said Lomellin. "Part of the problem at the OAS is it's sorely underfunded. It has way too many mandates and not enough resources.... We have to make sure Insulza implements the democratic charter and shows a stronger support for human rights in the region, raising the issues of freedom of expression, going out and setting up more election observation missions -- which is one of the things the OAS does extremely well."

The OAS has a 2010 budget of approximately $178 million. The group nearly always makes votes based on consensus, and Venezuela has assembled an informal coalition of support among member nations such as Ecuador and Bolivia. While this influence fuels criticism against Insulza, a February report by the OAS Inter-American Commission on Human Rights did criticize the erosion of democracy in Venezuela.

But while Insulza is running unopposed, El-Hage pointed to Costa Rican President Oscar Arias as someone who would have been a better candidate. Arias arranged talks in an attempt to reconcile all parties in last summer's coup in Honduras.

"I think President Arias has done a pretty tremendous job, especially in his focus on peace, but that's like saying 'you should be more like your brother,'" Lomellin said. "I think the secretary-general was hampered by how the coup played out. The coup was a very difficult situation that kept changing every half hour... I hope during his second term that we can figure out how to strengthen the institution of the OAS."

The chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Rep. Eliot Engel, D- NY., also refused to join the chorus of Insulza's critics. Engel said the secretary-general could help strengthen ties with the United States.

"Honduras worked pretty well; the elections gave stability," Engel said. "I know some people think things have been deficient, but it's better to have a strong OAS. Whether Insulza is leading it or not is not important.... I would be opposed to using Insulza as a sort of straw man to try to destroy the organization. I think we should work with him, and that it's in our best interests to strengthen him and strengthen the organization."