Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Yesterday, the United Nations confirmed what we had all feared — that Gerardo LeChevallier, NDI's former director of Latin America and Caribbean programs, was among those who perished in the collapse of the U.N. headquarters building in Port-au-Prince. Gerardo, who had led the U.N. political affairs and elections units in Haiti since leaving NDI in 2004, had been reported missing following the January 12 earthquake.  

In his six years with the U.N. MINUSTAH peacekeeping mission, Gerardo, a native of El Salvador, had become one of the world's experts on Haiti—deeply committed to the Haitian people and to promoting democratic development there. Sadly, Haiti now needs Gerardo's commitment and leadership more than ever to help it rise from its devastation and renew efforts to build stable, democratic institutions of governance. He will be sorely missed there as well as among legions of friends and admirers around the world. 

For 10 years, NDI was fortunate to benefit from Gerardo's expertise, first as a resident director in Haiti, Paraguay and Bosnia, and finally as the Latin America regional director. His contributions, however, pre-dated his work history, having first served on the NDI delegation to the historic 1989 elections in Chile. It was natural for Gerardo, a student of democratic transitions, to be on the scene learning how the Chilean people overcame tremendous odds to initiate a peaceful democratic transfer of power. A few years later he would play a pivotal role in his own country’s political transformation.

By 1989, Gerardo had already held several positions in the Salvadoran government including director of tourism, and secretary of information for presidents Álvaro Magaña and José Napoleón Duarte. He was later elected as a deputy in the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly from 1991 to1994 and as deputy in the Central American Parliament from 1991 to 1996. Gerardo was one of the key negotiators in the Salvadoran Peace Accords that ended the country's 12-year civil war in 1992.

Gerardo lived and breathed politics. There is probably no one who better understood democratization opportunities and challenges in the hemisphere or the political dynamics within each country in the Americas, or possessed such a broad range of contacts in the region. To Gerardo, democracy and politics were not theoretical concepts or spectator sports—he practiced both, sometimes at great personal risk. His humor, however, was always in evidence most tangibly in his "wall of fame/shame" in his office where photographs of less-than-democratic political leaders were turned upside down amid the seemingly hundreds of others depicting a smiling Gerardo shaking hands with his democratic colleagues and heroes.

Gerardo was a larger than life character who lived his life to the fullest and attracted legions of admirers into his orbit. He believed in the adage that you can't be detached and be effective. Gerardo moved comfortably among presidents and sat at the table during high-level level political negotiations, but he amassed a following among young people especially who saw in him a friend, a mentor — someone who they could learn from example, influence their careers and change their outlook on life. Among young staff, he was known as an empowering boss, one who whose response to a change in strategy or project focus, was more often "Why not?" than "Why?" He inspired others to follow their dreams.

It was probably his generosity and contagious optimism that were among Gerardo's most appealing characteristics, always looking on the bright side, always offering encouragement and a positive outlook. Gerardo was a courageous dreamer who devoted himself to the challenging and sometimes untidy arena of practical politics, putting his idealism on the line, subjecting himself to the slings and arrows of political life. It is little wonder that he was dubbed "El Tigre" for his tenacious, and sustained dedication to the democratic cause, against political injustice, for making the world a better place.

Jim Swigert, NDI's current director for Latin America and the Caribbean, and I last saw Gerardo in Port-au-Prince in September. He was happy with his professional and personal life. He was where he wanted to be.

NDI extends its heartfelt condolences to Gerardo's family. Here, we will always honor his passion for life and good causes. We plan to hold a memorial service for Gerardo in the near future and will notify everyone once we have scheduled the day and time.

Ken Wollack

Kenneth Wollack
President
National Democratic Institute