OEA - CP - Resolución CP INF 10851

OEA/Ser.G CP/INF.10851/26 18 February 2026

Original: Spanish

NOTE FROM THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL INFORMING THE PERMANENT

COUNCIL CHAIR ABOUT THE RECOVERY, TRANSFER, AND SAFEGUARDING OF FILES

AND MATERIALS FROM THE OFFICES OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT

IN NICARAGUA AND VENEZUELA

PERMANENT COUNCILOSGA/39-26

February 17, 2026 His Excellency Luis Ernesto Vargas Permanent Representative of Colombia Chair of the Permanent Council Washington, D.C.

Excellency: I have the honor to address Your Excellency with regard to the responsibility and confidence that the member states have entrusted to the Office of the Assistant Secretary General to continue providing strategic direction, oversight, and overall consistency in management for the Offices of the General Secretariat in the member states.

Against that backdrop, and as you are aware, the OAS offices in Nicaragua and in Venezuela faced extraordinary circumstances that led to the closure of their physical premises in 2022 and 2025, respectively, with limited advance planning. This resulted in a complex process of operational and institutional transition. In response to this situation, as part of a decisive interagency endeavor, from the very start of my tenure as Assistant Secretary General I took the necessary steps to ensure that the files from these offices – including documents and materials of great historical value – were properly preserved and safeguarded, in strict compliance with the applicable regulatory framework and institutional document management standards. The process of gathering, transferring, and safeguarding the documents and materials in Nicaragua involved the active and coordinated participation of the Office of the Inspector General, the Office of the General Secretariat in Costa Rica, Banca LAFISE (Nicaragua), and specialized transport

companies. All procedures were performed following strict standards of transparency, traceability, and security, ensuring compliance with customs regulations and with the Organization's internal procedures. With regard to Venezuela, those operations were rendered possible thanks to the invaluable support of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its Embassy in Caracas, whose cooperation was critical to the collection of materials. Invaluable support was also provided by the Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia (MAAP/OAS), which received the materials in Colombia and forwarded them to the headquarters of the General Secretariat. Thanks to these efforts, the files and materials that were being housed in both national offices were successfully retrieved and transferred to headquarters, where they are now properly protected and under institutional custody. Part of this collection has been added to the archives of the Columbus Memorial Library, while the rest is still in storage in accordance with established procedures.- 2The successful completion of the transfer and delivery of the documents and materials reflects the institutional legitimacy of the process, as well as the commitment – on the part of all involved – to integrity, accountability, and transparency in the handling of sensitive information. Preserving these documents is vitally important, not only because of their historical value, but also because it strengthens the Organization's transparency, legality, and institutional continuity, even amid complex and challenging circumstances. Bearing in mind the institutional significance of this outcome and of its contribution to preservation of the Organization's historical memory, I would be most grateful for your kind assistance in having this information shared with the member states. Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration. Laura Gil Assistant Secretary General Organization of American States cc: Ambassador Benoni Belli, Permanent Representative of Brazil and Chair of the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs