The Organization of American States (OAS) approved a resolution on Friday that urges Nicaraguan authorities to release political prisoners, reinstate civic liberties, and create conditions for fair elections. The resolution also establishes a working group tasked with recommending potential actions concerning these demands, including addressing the issue of forcibly disappeared individuals.
Nicaragua, under the co-presidency of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, has significantly curtailed civil liberties since a wave of protests in 2018. Last month, the government banned opposition parties from participating in future elections.
The resolution was adopted during the OAS' first foreign ministers' meeting in seven years. Washington hosted the meeting and proposed the resolution, with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau representing the U.S. Landau stated that the "democratic crisis in Nicaragua isn't solely an internal matter; to the contrary, the dictatorship endangers the peace and security of our hemisphere." He further added that the "dictatorship destabilizes Central America and our broader hemisphere by facilitating illegal immigration and embracing non-hemispheric security services, which support the repression."
Earlier drafts of the resolution revealed divisions among member states. The U.S. and aligned right-leaning governments advocated for stronger language, particularly concerning an alleged foreign security presence in Nicaragua. However, other countries, including Brazil, argued against classifying Nicaragua as a regional security threat.
Nicaragua, which withdrew from the OAS in 2023, has established security cooperation agreements with Russia and China. OAS Secretary-General Albert Ramdin expressed hope that the meeting would result in actions beyond mere verbal condemnation of human rights abuses, emphasizing the need for concrete next steps.