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House Passes Schakowsky-Wild Language to Investigate OAS Role in 2019 Bolivian Elections, Human Rights Crisis

July 28, 2021

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed—as part of the FY22 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) Appropriations bill—historic language by Reps. Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and Susan Wild (PA-07) regarding the role of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the 2019 Bolivian elections and subsequent human rights crisis.

Reps. Schakowsky and Wild have been among a group of U.S. representatives seeking answers to specific questions regarding the highly controversial statements and actions by the OAS Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) in Bolivia alleging fraud in the 2019 Bolivian elections. The EOM's claims contributed to the forced ouster of Bolivia's democratically elected president and the emergence of an unelected, military-backed regime responsible for mass human rights violations. Despite repeated congressional letters, OAS officials have failed to answer questions from members of Congress regarding the basis for the OAS' claims in Bolivia.

Leading statisticians and credible media outlets from around the world have concluded that the OAS' statements were flawed and lacked factual basis. The Schakowsky-Wild language in the FY22 SFOPS urges the U.S. State Department to seek answers regarding the OAS' behavior in Bolivia. This language is critical to ensuring that similar attacks on democracy do not occur again.

Reps. Schakowsky and Wild will continue working to ensure that Members of Congress receive credible information in response to the full range of questions they and other colleagues have raised regarding the damage done to Bolivia's democratic institutions.

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