We advocate the unrestricted release of protesters imprisoned in Nicaragua. • El Nuevo Diario

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, said Friday at the organization's Permanent Council that the unrestricted release of all the protesters imprisoned in Nicaragua was paramount.

Almagro also pleaded for the authorization of "safe return" of people forced to leave the country.

The OAS regent said he hoped to see "significant gains" in the ongoing electoral work, to ensure that the elections in the country "are taking place in a transparent, transparent and inclusive manner." fairness, freedom and international election observation. "

Read: Civic Alliance: The Government of Nicaragua is laughing at the agreements

Then, The new newspaper presents Luis Almagro's full speech to the Permanent Council of the OAS.

The General Secretariat welcomes the continuity of the collective action provided for in Article 20 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter during the two meetings of the Permanent Council of today.

It will be recalled that on January 11, I made a presentation to this Permanent Council on the situation in Nicaragua in the context of Article 20 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, following my own request of December 28, 2018 to ask the convening a special session of the Permanent Council devoted to the situation of the country.

At this extraordinary session of January 11, 2019, I explained the legal grounds that made it necessary to carry out the mandate that I had imposed on this rule of article 20 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, as well as the factual reasons that led me to consider that this was the case. a change in the constitutional order that seriously affected his democratic order.

During the same session, this situation was also exposed by other bodies of the organization, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, who discussed various aspects of this serious modification. .

Today, as part of this call by a group of countries, I am invited to update the outlook of the General Secretariat on the situation in Nicaragua so that this body, as indicated in Article 20, may collectively badess the situation and adopt the decisions it deems appropriate.

Interest: The United States requests that the Government of Nicaragua comply with the dialogue agreements.

Let me briefly recall the legal reasons that I pointed out at the time and which clearly continue to apply.

Article 20 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter provides that, in the event of a Member State modifying the constitutional order and seriously affecting its democratic order, any Member State and the Secretary-General may request the immediate convening of the Permanent Council to make an badessment. take the decisions it deems appropriate.

It is clear that the Secretary-General is entitled to request the convening of the Permanent Council when he considers that the situation of a Member State seriously affects his democratic order, just as the Permanent Council must make an badessment this situation as Article 20 continues. the completion of necessary diplomatic efforts, including good offices to promote the normalization of democratic institutions.

This article, unlike the cases provided for in Articles 17 and 18, which presupposes the agreement of the Member State concerned, is applied when the Government of that country neither requests nor accepts, in turn, the situation that is lived is that of a serious alteration of the democratic order.

This standard has been negotiated and approved by all OAS member states, making it the biggest difference from previous standards because it is the only one that does not require a government agreement.

Nobody can then say that his invocation violates the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. Respect for internationally recognized standards of international law is an obligation that states have acquired and can not be used as an excuse for non-compliance. There is no undue intervention. So acting to do what you have freely accepted.

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This same Democratic Charter, embodying the principles and provisions already stated in the OAS letter in the resolution of the Foreign Ministers' Meeting, listed the elements that constitute a democratic order and, consequently, what must be affected. they change it badly.

Article 3 stipulates that the essential elements of representative democracy are, in particular, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, access to power and its subjection to the rule of law, the holding of periodic elections, free, fair and founded. by universal and secret suffrage as an expression of the sovereignty of the people, the plural system of political parties and organizations, and the absolute separation and independence of the public authorities.

In another article of the letter, the letter highlights one of the other elements of democracy: respect for social rights and freedom of expression and the press, the strengthening of political parties and other political organizations in citizen participation.

When, in a Member State, certain components of a democratic system of government are seriously modified, a situation obliges us to resort to what is required by Article 20 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and which requires collective precision on the part of of the Permanent Council.

At the Council meeting on 11 January, I explained how many of these fundamental elements that make the exercise of democracy seriously affected in Nicaragua, we then declared that in democracy, there can be no repression nor any violation of the fundamental rights of the opponents. , students, politicians, peasants, civilians and minors, identified abuses in Nicaragua according to the Meseni report.

Today, we must continue to work with the greatest sense of responsibility. We know that the General Secretariat is present as a witness and companion in the conversations that took place between the Civic Alliance and the Government of the country.

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We have recognized, even accepted, the role of guarantor in some of the agreements concluded which are fundamental to the country's reinstitutionality. I talk about the agreement for the release of all political prisoners within a maximum of 90 days from its celebration, as well as the commitment, but has returned to full and inconsequential people who have were forced to leave the country.

While we appreciate the commitment reached on these points, we are obliged to say that we must see all of these agreements embodied in concrete facts and imminently, the unrestricted release of all these people is essential, from same as the authorization to restitute safely. who have had to leave their country, in the same way that we hope to see significant progress in the work on electoral reform conducted by the General Secretariat, they must ensure that the next elections in the country take place in a transparent framework and fairness, freedom and international election observation.

This is an essential aspect of the new democratization of the country. We also advocate the reintegration of the Meseni from the IACHR in Nicaragua. Human rights monitoring and control mechanisms are essential for their promotion and protection.

It is also essential to restore the legal status of civil society organizations that guarantee respect for human rights in the country. It is also imperative to recover freedoms, including freedom of expression, freedom of protest in its entirety, without concern for human rights. they will never have democracy.

Similarly, in the institution building pillar, it is essential to introduce legislative and operational reforms that allow for sufficient separation and independence of powers, in accordance with the Nicaraguan Constitution and the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.

Realization of these commitments and change is urgent, otherwise the country will not live institutional normality and its population will continue to suffer, commitments can not be left to the rhetoric or on paper, they must be implemented for the sake of all Nicaraguans

Also: OAS discusses obstacles to democracy in Nicaragua

The international community has an obligation to remain active in the evolution of the country's situation and to continue to make progress in the implementation of the inter-American instruments in order to help Nicaragua to recover the institutional conditions for peace, justice and prosperity. .

It is clear that there are many institutions to recover Nicaragua, it is necessary to recompose the freedom and the independence of the powers in the country, the reform of the judiciary is necessary, the reform electoral power is necessary, transparency and justice in the electoral process are necessary the full validity of all civil and political rights.

Because of these circumstances, the work accomplished is important, but it is very important for them that the government definitely badume the responsibility of discharging its duty of institutional resolution of these problems. It is also essential for the credibility of this dialogue process. , is essential so that it is not just what has been denounced, a way to save time, to clarify it, we must have concrete and clear actions.