The United States says it will use the Organization of American States (OAS) to pressure and isolate Nicaragua following constitutional changes that Washington says have further weakened democracy in the Central American country.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that President Daniel Ortega and his wife and co-President, Rosario Murillo, were waging a “war on democracy” that posed a threat to stability and prosperity across the Western Hemisphere.
The announcement followed the approval by Nicaraguan lawmakers of constitutional reforms that would significantly restrict opposition parties from participating in elections and extend the presidential term from six to seven years.
Rubio said Washington would use an upcoming OAS meeting to encourage countries across the Americas to stop treating Nicaragua’s government as business as usual.
The OAS had already agreed last month to hold an emergency meeting on Nicaragua, describing the situation as an urgent matter of common concern among member states.
Nicaragua withdrew from the OAS in 2022 after years of criticism over the Ortega government’s human rights record. Its withdrawal became fully effective in 2023.
The latest constitutional changes were proposed by Ortega’s government in July. They include provisions aimed at excluding opposition figures accused of being “traitors” or plotting coups, as well as dissolving political parties that receive foreign funding.
Ortega has defended the reforms, saying opposition groups would no longer be allowed to use elections to take control of the government.
The Nicaraguan government has faced international criticism since 2018, when security forces violently suppressed student-led protests. More than 300 people were killed, while political opponents, journalists and activists were detained or forced into exile.
The United States and other governments have repeatedly condemned Nicaragua’s treatment of political opponents and its restrictions on democratic freedoms.
.jpeg)
.jpeg "Sunayen kofofin aljanna guda takwas 8")
0 Comment about the Post: