A draft resolution, pending discussion in the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), which is being developed virtually this week with Guatemala serving as host, considers declaring that the elections in Nicaragua “do not have democratic legitimacy.” considering that they were not fair, free or transparent.
The document, which is published in the website of the regional bodyIt was presented on November 10 by the delegations of Canada, Antigua and Barbuda, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay; and offers a regional response to the voting, in which Daniel Ortega achieved a fourth consecutive term since 2007 without electoral competition, after imprisoning his possible rivals.
The countries that sign the proposal state that “the democratic institutions in Nicaragua have been undermined by the Government” and propose to instruct the Permanent Council of the OAS to carry out a collective evaluation of the situation, which should be completed no later than November 30 to give way to taking “appropriate actions”.
According to Articles 20 and 21 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, “collective appreciation” is part of the procedure established for the suspension of a State in the event of a proven breakdown of the democratic order. Before reaching this point, diplomatic negotiations are made with the countries in question, which have already been carried out at different times with Nicaragua. A task force was even created to address the crisis.
“Deplore that the diplomatic and technical initiatives undertaken since June 5, 2018 by the Organization of American States to promote representative democracy and the protection of human rights in Nicaragua have not been successful because they have been ignored or outright rejected by the Government ”, says the project.
Release of political prisoners
If there is a majority support in the regional body, the statement would be added to the rejection of 40 countries that describe the votes as illegitimate and demand a solution to the human rights crisis, starting with the freedom of political prisoners. In fact, the same Secretary General Luis Almagro recommended on November 9 annul the elections.
According to records from human rights associations, there are at least 150 political prisoners in the country, including 39 arrested since May with charges of “treason” mostly in the midst of the repressive electoral escalation, among which stand out political, business and civic leaders and seven presidential candidates.
For them, the proposing countries ask that the calls for the release of all political candidates and prisoners be repeated, as well as the restitution of their democratic rights, an end to the harassment of independent media and members of civil society.
On November 8, however, when celebrating his extension of power, Ortega insulted political prisoners and he defended the sovereignty of the country against what he considers acts of interventionism by the international community. But on the human rights violations, perpetrated by his regime, he says nothing.
