Nicaragua  President Daniel Ortega (Wikipedia)

By Gary  Raynaldo    –  DIPLOMATIC   TIMES

The United States sharply condemned  Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo for allowing the Central American country to leave the Organization of American States (OAS). Nicaragua’s withdrawal from the (OAS) Charter took effect Sunday.

“Nicaragua’s actions are an affront to the Western Hemisphere’s commitment to democracy. Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo’s decision to further isolate Nicaragua from the international community demonstrates their desperation to avoid any effort by the OAS or like-minded partners to hold them accountable for egregious human rights abuses. Their abuses include unjustly detaining, convicting, and mistreating political prisoners – including Bishop Rolando Alvarez; attacking independent journalists; and forcing hundreds of civil society organizations and educational institutions to close or hand over operations to the state.”

-U.S Department of State said in statement

The OAS is the “premier regional forum” for political discussion, policy analysis and decision-making in Western Hemisphere affairs. The OAS brings together leaders from nations across the Americas to address hemispheric issues and opportunities. In 2021,  the OAS adopted a resolution calling for the immediate release of four jailed opposition presidential candidates recently detained, along with over 130 other political prisoners. The resolution characterized the Ortega government  as “repressive” and also condemned Vice President Rosario María Murillo’s role in the regime.  

Last year, the Nicaraguan regime decided to close the local office of the OAS, and revoked the credentials of many of its representatives.

In response to last year’s action, the OAS  said in a statement:  “This is a violation of the most basic international norms … We demand that the Nicaraguan government respect the obligations that currently govern its relationship with the OAS and with every international organization of which Nicaragua is a part.”

The U.S. vowed to help hold the Ortega regime accountable for human rights abuses. “Despite Ortega and Murillo’s denunciation of the OAS Charter, Nicaragua remains bound by its human rights and governance obligations under remaining treaties and instruments, including the American Convention on Human Rights. The United States, working with our partners in the OAS, continues to review all available and appropriate tools to hold Ortega, Murillo, and their surrogates accountable for their actions. We renew our call for the Nicaraguan authorities to uphold their obligations and fulfill the recommendations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights,” – U.S. Department of State