On August 5, a website I had never encountered published a hatchet job on Albert Ramdin, who took office as Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS) less than two months ago.
The article claimed to expose “lavish spending” and “nepotism” by Ramdin in the brief two months he has been at the helm of the Organisation. It layered one anonymous rumour atop another until fact and fiction blurred.
Its sensational depiction of Secretary-General Albert Ramdin — limousines billed at US$25,000, an “ivory-tower” renovation of the eighth floor, and a stubborn refusal to fund critical communications upgrades — rests entirely on unnamed “internal OAS sources.”
No single source is identified by name, and no budget lines, audit reports, or on-the-record statements back these allegations.
This article is nothing less than a hatchet job on Ramdin, the first Secretary General elected from a Caribbean Community (Caricom) country. The question is why? And the answer lies in the murky world of marginalisation of the Caribbean area as small and insignificant and, therefore, undeserving. It may also lie in the misguided idea that Caribbean governments favour China over the US and Canada, and somehow Ramdin symbolises that position.
The truth is that Caribbean countries have no such preference. Their only desire is to work harmoniously with all wealthier countries to promote their people’s economic and social development. Right now — and for some time — China has been more ready to provide that support.
Against that backdrop, the article compounds its abusive attack on Ramdin by dragging the Bahamas Ambassador, Chet Donovan Neymour, into the fray with an equally unsubstantiated claim that he is “currently under investigation for corruption”.
This is a massive untruth and a nasty stain on Neymour’s reputation – again in service to those who feel that Caribbean officials should not be predominant. A search of mainstream news wires — Reuters, the Associated Press, Deutsche Welle — and the OAS’s press releases reveals no hint of any inquiry into Ambassador Neymour.
As Dean of the Corps of OAS Ambassadors, I can confirm that no organ of the Organisation has opened a probe into Neymour. The only prior allegation — 15 years ago when Neymour was a staff member of the OAS — was thoroughly investigated, dismissed on appeal, and has left his record unblemished ever since.
Persons determined to smear and besmirch treat truth as inconvenient in pursuit of dirty ends. However, any member state delegate who wishes to adopt these rotten tactics will be summoned to prove what they accuse.
The manoeuvre to conflate Neymour’s impeccable service with the unverified allegations against Secretary General Ramdin betrays political motives, not journalistic integrity. Ambassador Neymour is a career diplomat representing The Bahamas at the United Nations and the OAS. In 2024, he guided the Permanent Council with steady leadership as Chairman. He then chaired the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs with transparency and fiscal discipline. Earlier in his career, as OAS Ombudsman, he protected due process for all staff.
Ramdin’s wish to appoint Neymour as his Chief of Staff requires a waiver from the Permanent Council. This precedent was recently utilised when Ramdin nominated the Ambassador of Chile, Sebastian Kraljevich, as the Executive Secretary for the Secretariat for Strengthening Democracy.
It is this Permanent Council requirement, a clear manifestation of a double standard and ulterior motive, that has provided the opportunity for mudslinging. If the author of the article in “Centra News” truly sought the facts, a transparent review would confirm that Ambassador Neymour’s career has been defined by competence and integrity, not by scandal.
In Secretary General Ramdin’s defence, the General Secretariat of the OAS issued a formal statement on 6 August rejecting all mischaracterisations of his travel, office renovations, and budgetary priorities. The statement underscored that every expenditure adheres to OAS rules and financial controls.
In the case of one of the allegations that in Antigua and Barbuda at the 55th General Assembly of the OAS, Ramdin chose an expensive Hotel away from the staff of the Secretariat, I make it clear that it was the Government of Antigua and Barbuda that allocated the Hotel for Ramdin and heads of delegation for security reasons. It was not the OAS that paid his hotel bill. The Government of Antigua and Barbuda did so as part of its obligations as the host government.
The OAS was founded to uphold democracy, human rights, and development across the Americas. It will degrade its mission if it allows rumours to drive its governance. Ambassador Chet Donovan Neymour deserves affirmation of the merits of his service, not conflation with unfounded claims.
Member states of the OAS and their citizens must see through this orchestrated smear campaign against Neymour as part of a broader attack on Ramdin, and ask themselves why?
— CMC
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