The organization deemed the exclusion of opposition forces from the upcoming elections as "unacceptable" and called for an international response to the advance of the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo
The situation represents a new chapter in the political crisis that Nicaragua has been experiencing since the protests of 2018. Since then, the Ortega and Murillo regime has faced allegations of persecution of opponents, restrictions on civil organizations and media, and the exit from the country of numerous leaders and citizens critical of the Government.
The Organization of American States (OAS) called for an international response to the advance of the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo in Nicaragua, after the dictatorship pushed measures aimed at preventing the participation of opposition sectors in the upcoming elections. The organization described the situation as “unacceptable” and urged countries in the region to act in response to the deterioration of democratic conditions.
The controversy intensified after the National Assembly, controlled by the ruling party, moved forward with a constitutional reform that establishes restrictions on the participation of parties considered opposition. This measure adds to a series of institutional modifications that have concentrated greater powers in the Executive and reduced the scope of action for political forces that challenge Sandinismo.
The electoral process is thus conditioned before opposition parties can compete on equal terms. Nicaraguan organizations and leaders in exile had previously requested OAS member governments to increase diplomatic pressure on Nicaragua.
The scenario worsened with Ortega's recent statements about the political future of the country. The dictator claimed that in Nicaragua “there will be no more elections”, while rejecting the possibility of opposition parties returning to political competition. These statements were interpreted as a sign that the ruling party intends to maintain a political system without effective alternation.
For the OAS, the problem exceeds the dispute between the regime and its political adversaries: it concerns the conditions under which Nicaraguans will be able to exercise their right to vote and choose their authorities. The organization's call seeks to have American governments coordinate a response to the communist dictatorship.
Meanwhile, the Ortega and Murillo regime maintains control over the main structures of the State and advances with legal changes that hinder the participation of its adversaries. The exclusion of the opposition once again places Nicaragua at the center of international criticism for the lack of political competition.
