Lima in Peru is hosting the annual General Assembly of the Organisation of American States (4-7 October), bringing together governments of the 35 state of the Americas.

It is a “forum” where continental challenges are discussed and non-binding initiatives are voted.

The city hosting the large socio-political event appeared at the beginning of the week with large signs on some of its bridges reading “Peru, pro-life country, welcomes you”, “Family: the biggest treasure of humanity” or “OEA: America defends life and fammily”.

The campaign around the OEA was led by evangelical groups working in socio-political affairs. In fact, five of these groups brought their message to the OEA’s forum of civil societies. These were organised by the Christian movement Ibero-American Congress for Family and Life, which includes parliamentarians, political activists and representatives of churches.

The OAS assembly inauguration was led by Secretary of Organisation Luis Almagaro, and with a speech of the President of Peru, Pedro Castillo, who said: “As a nation, we are committed to working together with other countries against discrimination and inequality in the continent, especially with the most disadvantaged”.

Christian voices at the OAS

In the session for civil society groups from all across Latina America, these were some of the ideas shared, including several of the coalition with a Christian ethos.

“The gender discourse takes away visibility from the real problems of women, from the definition of the human person, and undermines the role of the family”, said María Luisa Neira, of the Coalition for Human Development, who concluded, “God bless Peru, God bless the Americas”.

María Teresa Chacón of the Coalition for Social Order denounced the fact that in some countries home abortion campaigns were carried out in times of pandemic. “We require an America without impositions, within the design for this event, a large part of the topics were biased towards ideologies far removed from real needs, they do not respond to what minorities urgently require, stop promoting alienating ideologies that confront us as a society”.

Jessica Pérez Zapata, from the Education and Culture for Democracy Coalition, denounced that the idea is to impose concepts that are regressive to the fundamental rights of human beings, which generates inequality and discrimination. “Educating for democracy is based on science, not dogma, not just one way of thinking, we must return to and recognise the foundations of the OAS. We demand children’s rights without ideological bombardment in the classroom, in order to move forward as a society”. She added that there is not a single international treaty that eliminates the right to live for the weakest and the voiceless, the unborn.

“We young people urgently need to be allowed to participate in decision making in the continent in order to go together within a framework of principles and values”, said the head of the Coalition for the Progress of Society, 16-year-old Mexican Nohemí Manzanera. She asserted that the continent is experiencing a regression, the ideologies that call themselves progressive are not, but that we are experiencing social decadence, without hope for the youth. “There are unresolved problems that are more important, but an ideological agenda is prioritised”.

Leydi Johanna Leyva of the Coalition for Human Rights for Adolescents and Youth in Latin America and the Caribbean, denounced that Afro-descendant and indigenous communities lack public policies for minors, even without access to education and health services.

Cilka Sánchez, spokesperson for the Latin American Evangelical Congress Coalition, called for respect for freedom of conscience and non-discrimination of groups that differ with their faith positions. She denounced the OAS for being biased and complicit with those who support an ideological agenda.

On the same issue, María Anne Quiroga, of the Coalition Access to Justice and Law stated that the term “women in all their diversity” being used in the OAS gatherings puts the personality of women on an ambiguous stage, as it wants to include those who are biologically men, “this is not equality, on the contrary, it puts us at a disadvantage, even in terms of the rights we have won for those of us who were born as men”.

Santiago Guevara, of the Youth and Freedoms Coalition, said: “There is no freedom to impose an ideological agenda against the culture of the people. That is why we are in favour of protecting the human being, even the unborn”.

Conversatorio de la Unión Iberoamericana de Legisladores Cristianos con la bancada pro vida de Perú, extraordinaria y fructífera reunión. #porelalmadeamérica pic.twitter.com/7LFAe4vfRT

— Congreso Iberoamericano por la Vida y la Familia (@CongresoIberVF) October 5, 2022

Oswaldo Bilbao of the Afro-descendant Coalition of the Americas expressed that it is a shame that the proposals that defend their rights are ignored, “we continue to be discriminated against, in poverty, made invisible by international programmes”.

From the Life and Family Coalition, Maximiliano Germán Daye, who represents 79 organisations from the continent, affirmed that they work in favour of children, even those who are newly conceived, as well as the family as the basic cell of society, which is why public policies should be implemented to strengthen it. He stressed that it is imperative that parents participate in the design of plans to support their children. “No hypersexualisation of children, as it encourages child exploitation and pornography. And please, stop persecuting the families”.

This rapprochement between civil society is a traditional prelude to the work on the resolutions that begins later in the plenary sessions of the OAS General Assemblies.

Press conference of Christian parliamentarians in Peru

In a press conference ahead of the OAS Assembly, the Parliamentary Bloc in Defense of Life and Family of Peru presented its positions.

Formed by 30 parliamentarians, the Bloc alerted in a public statement that the OAS “has been assuming powers - including legislative powers - that we, the States Parties, have not granted it; this threatens internal democracy and puts our sovereignty at risk, thereby contravening the very pact that gave rise to it”.

Congressman Alejandro Muñante, third vice-president of the Peruvian Congress put the focus on a new OAS draft resolution on the “Promotion and Protection of Human Rights”, which includes concepts not recognised by Peruvian national legislation, such as same-sex marriage, self-perceived gender identity and the legalisation of abortion, among others. He also pointed out that none of these concepts are part of the American Convention on Human Rights.

Sebastian Schuff, Argentinean lawyer and president of the Global Center for Human Rights, revealed several cases of conditional funding in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Inter-American Court for ideological agendas. Schuff presented a comprehensive report on the harmful financial dependence of the IACHR and the Court on contributions from countries outside the Inter-American system, NGOs and international corporations. With data provided by the IACHR and the Court itself, Schuff showed that they have financed projects to resolve cases or produce advisory opinions and reports that they then call “human rights standards” but which in reality are totally ideological in content, language and terminology.

Also speaking at the press conference was Aarón Lara, leader of the Ibero-American Congress for Family and Life. “The OAS has become an indoctrinating agency and the platform to force states to legislate. For life, family and liberties. For the soul of America. God with us”.