NEW YORK ( Associated Press) — The Organization of American States (OAS) approved a resolution on Friday condemning the “illegal” entry of the Nicaraguan government to the OAS facilities, in addition to the seizure of the organization’s assets in Managua , and demands that the use of the seized premises be immediately restored.
Twenty-nine countries of the OAS Permanent Council voted in favor of the resolution, which also criticizes “the violation of the inviolability of the Organization’s archives” and insists that “the immunity of their property be fully respected while they are in Nicaragua.”
El Salvador, Honduras and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were the only countries that abstained from voting. Nicaragua and Bolivia were absent from the meeting.
On April 24, the Nicaraguan government announced the expulsion of the OAS and closed the organization’s offices in Managua. The government of President Daniel Ortega has accused the organization of being a “diabolical instrument” and of “intervention and domination” by the United States.
On the other hand, in November, the Sandinista government announced that it was leaving the hemispheric organization, but this process could take two years. The OAS has said that, according to the rules of the entity, Nicaragua will remain a full member until the end of 2023.
Nicaragua held presidential elections in early November in which Ortega was re-elected for the third consecutive time. They were criticized internationally for the lack of real opposition and the jailing of seven presidential hopefuls.
At the end of 2021, the OAS approved a resolution affirming that Nicaragua did not comply with the commitments of the Inter-American Democratic Charter or the series of measures established to guarantee democratic order in the region. The resolution called on the Ortega government to release all political prisoners and accept a high-level mission authorized by the OAS Permanent Council to help carry out electoral reforms.
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