(EFE).- Nicaragua’s departure from the Organization of American States (OAS) became official this Sunday, two years after the Nicaraguan president, Daniel Ortega, activated the process to leave the organization due to his criticism of the elections in those who were re-elected.
The United States warned the Government of Managua this Sunday that its departure from the Pan-American organization does not exempt it from its obligation to respect human rights and threatened to impose new sanctions for its repression against the Nicaraguan population.
The Sandinista Executive presented the formal request to leave the OAS on November 19, 2021, after the organization’s General Assembly disqualified the presidential elections of November 7 of that same year in Nicaragua.
The Sandinista Executive presented the formal request to leave the OAS on November 19, 2021, after the organization’s General Assembly disqualified the presidential elections of November 7
Ortega, in power since 2007, was re-elected in those elections for a fifth and fourth consecutive term, with his main contenders in prison.
The 51st General Assembly resolved by majority that the elections that guaranteed Ortega’s permanence in power, along with his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, “were not free, fair or transparent” and did not have “democratic legitimacy.”
The elections were notable for the absence of seven potential opposition presidential candidates who were imprisoned before the vote on charges of “treason.”
In reaction, the Government of Nicaragua announced that it was launching the two-year procedure to disassociate itself from the OAS, of which it was one of the founding members in 1948.
It is the first time that a country formally leaves the OAS. Cuba was expelled in 1962, while Venezuela’s membership remains in dispute, given that President Nicolás Maduro began the process to leave the organization in 2017 but the OAS stopped recognizing his government.
In its letter of complaint, Managua accused the OAS of violating its own founding Charter on non-interference in the internal affairs of countries and of being controlled by the United States.
Cuba was expelled in 1962, while Venezuela’s membership remains in dispute, given that President Nicolás Maduro began the process to leave the organization in 2017 but the OAS stopped recognizing his Government.
Since the popular demonstrations that broke out in April 2018 against the Ortega Government, and which left at least 355 dead, the OAS Permanent Council approved 12 resolutions on the situation in Nicaragua condemning the repression.
Four months after denouncing the OAS Charter, the Nicaraguan ambassador to that organization, Arturo McFields, rebelled against the Ortega Government with a harsh and unexpected allegation during a session of the organization in Washington in which he denounced the “dictatorship” of his country and demanded the release of political prisoners.
A day later Ortega officially dismissed his diplomatic representative and subsequently expropriated the organization’s offices in Managua. McFields believes that Ortega and Murillo are “fleeing” from the OAS because “they are not willing to fight the political, diplomatic and legal battle.”
“Nicaragua’s departure highlights some serious weaknesses of the OAS and that is that it is not capable of bringing the dictatorships of the 21st century to heel,” McFields said in an interview with EFE on the occasion of the organization’s abandonment this Sunday.
The member states of the OAS approved a resolution two weeks ago in which they recognized that Nicaragua’s departure would take place this Sunday, November 19.
In the same resolution, they “emphasized” that this “does not nullify the other legal obligations” of the Central American country in terms of human rights.
“Nicaragua remains obliged to respect all human rights reflected in customary norms; all human rights contained in the multilateral human rights conventions to which Nicaragua is a party,” the OAS highlighted.
The United States reiterated this message this Sunday and even opened the door to imposing new sanctions against the Ortega Government and its entourage.
The United States reiterated this message this Sunday and even opened the door to imposing new sanctions against the Ortega Government and its entourage.
The State Department’s main official for Latin America, Brian Nichols, said that Nicaragua’s departure from the OAS will not prevent Washington from “taking measures to protect the human rights and democracy of the Nicaraguan people.”
At the same time, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller described Nicaragua’s departure from the OAS as “desperation” to evade justice.
Miller stressed that Nicaragua “remains subject to its human rights obligations” under international treaties, and stressed that the United States and its allies will review “all available tools” to hold Ortega and Murillo accountable.
The Joe Biden Administration has imposed several economic sanctions and visa restrictions on Nicaraguan officials for the persecution of political opponents, activists and members of the Catholic Church.
Last February, the United States received 222 Nicaraguan political prisoners who were banished by the Ortega Government. Bishop Rolando Álvarez refused to be expelled from Nicaragua and remains imprisoned.
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