Hugo Rodriguez, who was nominated by the United States government as ambassador to Nicaragua and would replace, if his nomination is approved, Kevin Sullivan in the diplomatic delegation in Managua; He aroused the annoyance of the Daniel Ortega regime with his statements before the Senate of the North American country, where he promised to continue denouncing the abuses of power by the dictatorship.
“I promise to work with Congress, inter-institutional colleagues and international partners to press for the return to democracy, respect for human rights and the freedom of political prisoners in Nicaragua,” the applicant assured the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate.
In addition, the North American diplomat indicated that “if they confirm me as ambassador, I will commit myself to voices from all of Nicaraguan society to share our vision of inclusive economic growth, as expressed by the president (Joe Biden) at the recent Summit of the Americas, in Los Angeles (California)”.
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“We will seek to support civil society groups that provide essential services in the areas of health, education and poverty alleviation, including the organizations that the Government of Nicaragua has targeted,” assured the candidate for ambassador of the North American country.
Likewise, Hugo Rodríguez stated that the expulsion of Nicaragua from CAFTA-DR (Free Trade Agreement with Central America and the Dominican Republic) “it is a potentially very powerful tool” and something that “should be seriously considered” in view of the aggravation of human rights violations.
The US official, in his statements, also referred to the 2021 presidential elections in which Daniel Ortega was elected president for the fourth consecutive time and his wife, Rosario Murillo, as vice president for the second time. Rodríguez pointed out that since then the dictatorship has deprived Nicaraguans of any real political option, because the Ortega administration was in charge of annihilating all electoral competition.
He stressed that Ortega-Murillo “closed civic space at an alarming rate” with the massive elimination of at least 900 non-governmental organizations, universities and associations in less than six months, which implies a “climate of repression and fear” in the population. Nicaraguan.
Similarly, he reiterated that “the United States has spoken out against these abuses” and if confirmed as Nicaraguan ambassador, it will continue to do so.
Hugo Rodríguez stressed that the actions and statements of the North American country it is not foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs, but rather it is “a commitment under the Inter-American Democratic Charter that both the United States and Nicaragua signed.”
Demand actions at the international level
Before the consultation of the North American senator, Bob Menendez, On the actions that he would propose at the international level to prevent further aggravation of the sociopolitical crisis in Nicaragua, the candidate for ambassador argued that it is necessary to “mobilize voices throughout the region and the entire world to denounce the abuses against human rights , denounce the anti-democratic actions that the Ortega government is taking, and we must demand the immediate release of the 190 political prisoners.”
“I am committed to working with you and the Human Rights Council or our partners in Europe and Canada to also seek your voice and action in the form of sanctions to unite our efforts to highlight abuses and to isolate the regime,” he said.
In addition, “I will advocate for a change of course so that the Nicaraguan people can work to recover their democracy, maintain their families and regain hope for their future,” Rodríguez concluded.
