COMITÉ INTERNACIONAL GALO PLAZA INC.
PROMOVIENDO LA HISTORIA DE LOS LATINOAMERICANOS EN NUEVA YORK
Honoring his values and believes, we started a historic research about outstanding Latin Americans in New York history.
On June 2018, we receive an official recognition from New York City's Comptroller for our contributions to preserve Latin American culture and history; for highlighting the works of prominent Latino leaders, past and present; and to preserve the city's rich and diverse cultural fabric.
Since 2013 we started recognizing Latin women in Arts, Culture and Education by presenting GABRIELA MISTRAL, JULIA DE BURGOS FRIDA KAHLO AWARDS.
On February 17th, 2006, we celebrate Galo Plaza's centennial, just in front of his birthplace, historic Marlton Hotel, located at 5 West on 8th street in Manhattan, between Fifth and Sixth Ave.
Since then. we stablished an annual commemoration to honor Mr. Plaza's legacy, as one of the most respected international leaders born in New York City.
A native New Yorker, Galo Plaza Lasso (1906-1987) was an international leader of XX century and New York City native's most modern-minded. He distinguished himself in the service of international organizations promoting peace, inclusion, cooperation, international brotherhood, freedom of press, democracy and Human Rights, among universal values.
In 1958, Mr. Plaza presided over the meetings of the Special Committee of the Economic Commission for Latin America (CEPAL), which laid the foundations for the Latin American common market. In the same year he headed the successful mission of United Nations observers sent to Lebanon; and in 1960 he presided over the committee charged by the United Nations to deal with the evacuation of Belgian military bases in the Congo.
From May 1964 to the end of 1965 Plaza served as the personal representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations and as mediator in Cyprus, a mission which turned out to be surprisingly successful in the face of extremely serious difficulties. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965.
On February 13, 1968, Plaza was elected Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS). Thereafter Plaza was able to reorganize the secretariat of the organization so as to render it more efficient, and he gave the OAS the dynamic and straightforward leadership which it had been sadly lacking.
After leaving the OAS in 1975, Plaza went back to Ecuador as an elder statesman, helping to mediate the country's internal struggles. He was also active in the Inter-American Dialogue.
Mr. Plaza died of a heart attack on January 28, 1987 in Ecuador, the birth place of his parents.
