HRW criticized Argentina and Mexico’s vote at OAS on human rights violations in Nicaragua

The organization Human Rights Watch criticized Wednesday the vote of Argentina and Mexico at the OAS on Nicaragua, and described as “painful” a statement issued by the two countries.

The Executive Director for the Americas, Jose vivanco, shared on his Twitter account the statement released by the Argentine Foreign Ministry with a message: “A painful statement by Mexico and Argentina on the situation in Nicaragua. It is one thing to seek a negotiated solution to this crisis and another to say this nonsense.

Tuesday, Argentina and Mexico demonstrated against any intervention in the internal affairs of that country, which led them not to support a resolution debated in the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS).

The two countries also expressed their disagreement with the “claim” to “impose directives from outside or unduly prejudge the evolution of electoral processes”. “In this context, it was not possible for us to accompany the draft resolution submitted for consideration today to the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS),” he added.

The OAS Permanent Council addressed the Special Session on Tuesday to situation in Nicaragua, after the secretary general of the organization, Luis Almagro, urge to apply the Inter-American Democratic Charter for the suppression of the opposition.

With 26 votes in favor, three against and five abstentions, the organization approved the resolution “The situation in Nicaragua”, which, inter alia, “unequivocally condemns the arbitrary arrests, harassment and restrictions imposed on presidential candidates, political parties and independent media” and calls for “The immediate release of presidential candidates and all political prisoners.”

Monday, the government of Daniel Ortega defended the arrests of several opposition leaders, including that of four presidential candidates and two former historic guerrillas, and demanded the “non-interference of any foreign government” in its internal affairs, just five months before the elections in which Ortega, in power since 2007, is seeking another re-election.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stressed that “there are no conditions” for “fair and free elections” in Nicaragua and called for the “immediate release” of the four presidential candidates.

It’s a statement, Blinken expressed “strong support” for the resolution approved on Tuesday by a large majority of 26 countries of the Organization of American States (OAS) calling for “the immediate release of presidential candidates and all political prisoners”.

“Given the recent repression of the regime and its lack of deep electoral reform, the conditions for free and fair elections in November do not exist “, said the chief of the American diplomacy.

With information from EFE

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