The presidents of the Foreign Relations committees of the Parliaments of 16 countries, from Latin America and Europe, condemned the dismantling of democracy “under the toxic government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo,” in a statement published two days before the presidential votes, which they described as “false elections” in Nicaragua.
Senator Bob Menéndez, chairman of the United States Senate Foreign Committee, signs the statement, as do their counterparts in the United Kingdom, Lithuania, the European Parliament, Spain, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Sweden, Ireland, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova and Ecuador.
“The regime has preceded Nicaragua’s pseudo-presidential elections, scheduled for November 7, 2021, with cruel violations of democratic rules, including arbitrary imprisonment, torture and persecution of political opponents, the systematic repression of independent media and the abuse of state resources, ”says the statement where it makes express reference to the arrests of opponents registered since last May.
According to legislative leaders, the Nicaraguan justice system has captured seven presidential hopefuls. These arrests have occurred in the midst of the repressive escalation that has left 39 detainees among civic, business and political leaders, with whom Ortega eliminated any possibility of political competition in the November 7 vote.
In the press release they also indicate that there are 150 political prisoners in the country – including 39 – who have been denied due process and even basic needs such as water, food, and hygiene items. For the legislators, what is sought is to consolidate the Ortega dictatorship.
In the same vein, they warn the presidential family that each of these acts has consequences at the international level.
“We have clear eyes on the cruelty of the dictatorship and we are committed to holding the Ortega-Murillo family accountable for their ongoing campaign of human rights abuses, including torture, extrajudicial executions and illegal detentions,” they maintained.
Increase international pressure
The statement adds to the condemnation made by the European Union, whose high representative for Foreign Relations and Security, Josep Borrell, denounced that the elections are “a fake (false) ”, which seeks to keep Ortega in power.
Last Thursday, Meléndez himself celebrated the approval in the Congress of his country of the Reborn Law, that toughens the sanctions against the Ortega dictatorship, which was widely approved and awaits only the signature of President Joe Biden to become legislation that gives the US government more tools to respond to Ortega’s undemocratic actions.
According to the approved text, sanctions may be established against those who obstruct the rights of Nicaraguans to free elections, the presidential family is placed under the public eye because reports on the corruption of the Ortegas may be drawn up, as well as requiring reports on the actions of Russia in the country, considered a historical ally of the Sandinista leader.
Similarly, “Renacer” establishes greater supervision over international credits in the Nicaraguan case and a review of the country’s participation in the United States trade agreement with Central America and the Dominican Republic, which would represent a blow, given that it is of the largest trading partner of the Central American country.
The Ortega Executive, in the last days of the voting, has denounced that he is a “victim” of interference, and asks for respect for his sovereignty, without responding to any of the human rights violations that have been documented by international organizations since 2018 when Opposition protests broke out. In total 328 people were killed, 2,000 were injured and 100,000 Nicaraguans had to go into exile as a result of the repression.
Republican congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, when approving the Renacer Law, argued that what they wanted was to stop “The reign of terror” of Ortega and Murillo.
