OAS Secretary General Offers Condolences on the Death of the Former President of Trinidad and Tobago

WASHINGTON, DC – The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, offered his condolences to the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago on the passing of Sir Ellis Clarke, the country’s first President.

In a letter sent to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the Secretary General highlighted the contributions that Sir Ellis Clarke made to the public service of the Caribbean country after its independence. Among them he emphasized his role in the drafting of the Constitution of the Republic.

“We in the OAS will remember Sir Ellis as Trinidad and Tobago’s first Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Organization from May 1967 to January 1973,” said the head of the hemispheric body, who also remarked on the leadership and active participation of the Trinidadian leader in the discussions of the Permanent Council and its subsidiary bodies.

“The former President was committed to the self-determination of the people of Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean,” said Secretary General Insulza, who also transmitted his condolences to the family of former President Clarke.