Unites States asks OAS to Discuss a New Resolution against the Daniel Ortega Regime

On Wednesday, December 18, Carlos Trujillo, permanent US representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), presented to the presidency of the OAS Permanent Council the draft of a resolution against Daniel Ortega.

The resolution stems from the situation in Nicaragua where there are still ongoing acts of violence against protesters. The US believes that advocating for the reestablishment of democracy in the country is an urgent matter.

The draft of the resolution against Daniel Ortega that Trujillo presented condemns the continuing acts of violence that have caused great loss of life in Nicaragua. In addition, it expresses solidarity with the “Nicaraguan peoples and support for their determination to reestablish full democracy,” with guarantees and respect for the fundamental freedoms, within the framework of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.

The draft “calls for the normalization of a democratic institutional framework in Nicaragua within the context of the Inter-American Democratic Charter [and to] consider the possibility of providing OAS support and help for the consolidation of the democratic process as the Nicaraguan Government has requested.”

The fifth point of the draft asks for a period of special sessions of the OAS General Assembly, in accordance with the third paragraph of article 20 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, in order to receive the current information of the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights and adopt the decisions that they feel are opportune.

The report on the situation in Nicaragua

In November, the High Level Commission concluded that there was an “alteration of constitutional order in Nicaragua that is gravely affecting the democratic order,” and recommended that the organization’s Permanent Council “immediately convoke a period of extraordinary sessions of the General Assembly to examine” the topic.

“From the analysis of the work realized by the Commission, the testimonies gathered, the inputs proportioned by the different actors in the Nicaraguan process and the IACHR reports, it‘s clear that Nicaragua is experiencing a critical situation in terms of human rights that requires the urgent attention of the Inter-American and international communities together,” specified the report’s initial conclusion.

The Nicaraguan regime refused to recognize the creation of this Commission made up of a representative from Paraguay, Jamaica, United States, Canada and Argentina, and forbade their entrance into Nicaragua.  The diplomatic representatives were forced to meet in El Salvador and the United States with the family members of those killed during the Ortega massacre, released political prisoners, human rights organizations and representatives of civil society.

Based on those encounters, the commission concluded that the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo “has demonstrated a continuous pattern of efforts aimed at limiting the rights of their citizens, for example: constant harassment and intimidation; restrictions on political rights, freedom of the press, free expression, the right to personal freedom and humane treatment.”

The recommendation to call for an extraordinary session of the organization’s General Assembly with the participation of the foreign ministers from all the countries was based on Article 20 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter of the OAS that was activated this year to deal with the Nicaragua crisis.