Which countries have not condemned human rights violations in Nicaragua at the OAS

the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) vissued a resolution on Tuesday condemning the arrest of presidential candidates and restrictions on political parties in Nicaragua and called for the immediate release of all political prisoners.

In a virtual meeting, The Council approved the document in which it expressed its “concern at the recent political deterioration” in the Central American country.

The vote was not unanimous, however: 26 countries have spoken out to condemn the wave of repression by Daniel Ortega’s regime, three voted against Yes five abstained.

The countries that voted in favor of the resolution are El Salvador, United States, Guyana, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela, Antigua- and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia and Costa Rica.

Against they voted Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Yes Bolivia.

I know they abstained Honduras, Mexico, Argentina, Belice Yes Dominica.

The text approved by the OAS urges the Ortega regime to apply all applicable international standards for the holding of free and fair elections on 7 November, “Including the warm welcome of trustworthy election observers from the OAS and other countries.

The text is underlined by “grave to worry“That the Nicaraguan authorities have not implemented electoral reforms by May this year to ensure the transparency of the November 7 elections, a deadline that was set by the OAS General Assembly last October.

During the meeting, the Nicaraguan delegation rejected the approval of the text, considering the action of the international organization as an “interventionist”. The Nicaraguan government “strongly rejects the convening of the session and the resolution, without binding effect on the government”.

“With less than five months to elect a new president, we must unite to demand from the Nicaraguan authorities the immediate release of political prisoners, political and social leaders, guaranteeing their safety, political rights and physical integrity,” he said. Costa’s ambassador. Rica, while calling for “an end to the siege, intimidation, persecution, raids, mistreatment and abuse” by the Ortega regime. “We demand respect for their international obligations, and in particular with regard to human rights.”

The United States, for its part, deemed “unthinkable” the possibility of holding “free and fair elections in this atmosphere” of persecution and repression. “The regime arrests not only political leaders and opposition candidates, but also leaders of the private sector and social organizations (…) Visits and the right to defend oneself were prevented; some need medication or suffer from an illness ”.

The extraordinary virtual session was requested by Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, the United States, Paraguay and Peru. Brazil expressed “satisfaction” with the approval of the resolution.

13 opponents arrested in two weeks

The resolution has been given shortly after the arrest of the former Sandinista Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Víctor Hugo Tinoco by Nicaraguan police accused of inciting foreign interference, call for military interventions and celebrate the sanctions against members of Daniel Ortega’s regime.

In less than two weeks, the regime detained 13 opposition leaders: the aspirants to the presidency Cristiana Chamorro, Arturo Cruz, Félix Maradiaga and Juan Sebastián Chamorro García, two former vice-chancellors, two former dissident Sandinista guerrillas and three women leaders of different groups of adversaries of the dictator.

In all cases, the police indicated that they were under investigation for “committing acts undermining independence, sovereignty and self-determination, inciting foreign interference in internal affairs and called for military interventions ”. They are also accused of “having organized themselves with funding from foreign powers to commit acts of terrorism and destabilization, propose and manage economic, commercial and financial blockades against the country and its institutions”.

Both the groups to which the detainees belong and their lawyers have agreed that arrests during the last two weeks are illegal because they were executed without a warrant, and that they violate human rights because in most cases those captured have not been heard.

In the elections next November Ortega will play 42 years of almost total primacy over Nicaraguan politics.

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