Alejandro Orfila facts for kids

Alejandro Orfila in 1977

Alejandro Orfila (born March 9, 1925 – died June 9, 2021) was an important diplomat from Argentina. He later became a successful winemaker in San Diego, California.

Early Life and Career

Orfila with Richard Nixon in February 1974.

Alejandro Orfila was born in Mendoza, Argentina. His family were immigrants from Catalonia who owned vineyards. He studied law at the University of Buenos Aires and graduated in 1945.

After studying political science in the United States, he became a diplomat. In 1946, he worked at the Argentine Embassy in Moscow. However, he was asked to leave the Soviet Union in 1948.

He then moved to the United States. He worked as a Consul General (a diplomat who helps citizens and promotes trade) in San Francisco and New York. In 1952, he returned to Argentina to help with his family's business.

In 1953, Orfila joined the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, D.C. The OAS is a group of countries in North and South America that work together. He made many important connections there. He later became Argentina's Ambassador to the U.S. in 1958 and to Japan in 1960.

In 1962, he started a company that helped American businesses invest in Latin America. He also advised a large company focused on growing the Latin American economy. In 1973, he was again appointed Ambassador to the United States by President Juan Perón.

Leading the Organization of American States

OAS Secretary General Alejandro Orfila (second man to the right of President Carter) at the signing of the 1977 Panama Canal Treaty.

In 1975, Alejandro Orfila was chosen to be the Secretary General of the OAS. This was a very important leadership role. He worked to improve the relationship between the OAS and the United States.

Orfila believed in "gala diplomacy." This meant he used social events and dinners to help solve problems between countries. He hosted many diplomatic dinners at his home.

His influence grew when Jimmy Carter became U.S. President in 1977. Orfila helped gain support in the OAS for President Carter's plan to change the agreement about the Panama Canal Zone. The Panama Canal Treaty was signed at the OAS headquarters in September 1977. This was a big step for the region.

Orfila also wanted the OAS to play a bigger role in helping Latin American countries grow their economies. He supported the Inter-American Development Bank. This bank offered loans to governments, giving them another option besides private banks. However, some countries later faced challenges with repaying these loans.

Orfila was known for being against communism. But he also strongly opposed human rights abuses (when people's basic rights are violated) in Latin America. He worked with President Carter to investigate these issues. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights looked into serious human rights issues in countries like Argentina. Their report in 1980 helped bring attention to these problems and led to improvements in civil liberties.

However, Orfila's focus on human rights caused disagreements with the U.S. government when Ronald Reagan became President in 1981. Some U.S. officials felt the OAS should be more supportive of certain governments, even if they had human rights issues.

Orfila supported the Contadora Group. This group aimed to help end civil wars in Central American countries like Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador. But President Reagan did not support this effort, which made it harder to succeed.

In 1982, Orfila supported Argentina's claim over the Falkland Islands. This led to a difficult situation for the OAS after the Falklands War. He also tried to help Latin American countries with their debt problems, but this was also met with opposition from the Reagan Administration. In 1983, the OAS voted against the U.S. invasion of Grenada, showing a clear difference in policy.

Towards the end of 1983, there were unproven accusations against Orfila. He felt he could no longer effectively influence U.S. policy in Latin America. So, on June 21, 1984, he resigned from his position as Secretary General. He was replaced by João Clemente Baena Soares from Brazil.

Later Life

Alejandro Orfila was married to Jean D'Aprile and they had four children: Alejandro, Martin, Linda, and Michael. He later married Helga.

After leaving the OAS in 1984, Orfila returned to Argentina. He focused on his ranch and vineyards there. In 1994, he opened Orfila Vineyards and Winery in the San Pasqual Valley in Escondido, California. His winery has won over 1,100 awards for its wines.

Alejandro Orfila passed away in San Diego, California, in June 2021 at the age of 96.

See also

In Spanish: Alejandro Orfila (hijo) para niños