“A victory for all the people of Nicaragua”, this is how the resolution of the 53rd General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) that would be approved this afternoon, has been cataloged, in which they call on the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship to end to “all violations of human rights and respect for the civil, political and religious rights of Nicaraguans.”
After an impasse caused by the government of the Brazilian leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who tried to modify the first draft resolution to “soften” the terms condemning the Nicaraguan dictatorship, finally, Brazil backed down and did not defend its proposal, prevailing a new “alternative text”, promoted by Canada, which maintains the forcefulness of the condemnation of the Nicaraguan regime, as assessed by the former Nicaraguan ambassador to the OAS Arthur McFields.
The new alternative text for the resolution was presented to the OAS General Secretariat by the representative of Canada, who reported that this new proposal was agreed upon during an informal meeting held on Wednesday and that it eliminates some of the changes introduced by Brazil that softened the terms of condemnation of the Nicaraguan dictatorship. The representation of Brazil was present at that meeting and did not defend its proposal, which is why it is considered that it joined the consensus.
The agreed text that would be made official this Friday afternoon, before the closing of the continental event, urges the dictatorship to cease the persecution against journalists, the media, and civil society organizations. To religious communities, I respect the right to “freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”
In addition, as a second point, the new proposed resolution urges the Government of Nicaragua to release “immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners, in compliance with the decisions and recommendations of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights”.
In another of its demands, the resolution that would be approved states that the Government of Nicaragua “refrain from repressing and arbitrarily detaining leaders of the Catholic Church and that they provide information on the physical and psychological health of Bishop Rolando Álvarez, whom – according to the information received—is kept in isolation in maximum security facilities.”
The former diplomat McFields, who had warned that the Brazilian president was seeking to whitewash the image of the dictator Ortega, considers that the new text is a victory for the people of Nicaragua. Several organizations of the Nicaraguan opposition, as well as victims of the repression, vehemently opposed the modifications sought by Brazil.
The regional context is changed for the dictator Ortega who seemed to have the full support of the Brazilian president. Now the leftist Lula, who maintains a close relationship with Ortega, in addition to withdrawing his support from him in the OAS, has also promised to advocate for the release of the Catholic bishop and political prisoner Monsignor Rolando Álvarez and called on the dictator to “acknowledge his mistake.”
