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OAS Condemns Violence in Nicaragua and Calls on Government to Agree to Electoral Calendar

The Organization of American States (OAS) today condemned the acts of violence in Nicaragua, called on all parts to participate “actively and in good faith” in the National Dialogue and urged the Government “to support an electoral calendar,” in a resolution approved by the Permanent Council with 21 votes in favor.

The resolution specifically condemns “the attacks on clergy, the harassment of Roman Catholic bishops engaged in the National Dialogue process, the acts of violence at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN), the headquarters of CARITAS, and other peaceful protesters.”

The document, presented by the delegations of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru and the United States, also urges the Government of Nicaragua and all other actors “to participate actively and in good faith in the National Dialogue as a mechanism to generate peaceful and sustainable solutions to the situation unfolding in Nicaragua, and for the strengthening of democracy in that country.”

Moreover, the resolution exhorts the Government of Nicaragua “to support an electoral calendar jointly agreed to in the context of the National Dialogue process.”

The resolution was approved with 21 votes in favor (Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, United States, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Uruguay, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Chile), 3 against (Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela), 7 abstentions (El Salvador, Grenada, Haiti, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Belize) and three absences (Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Bolivia).

During the same meeting, the Permanent Council rejected a proposed resolution presented by Nicaragua. The text received 3 votes in favor (Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela), 20 against (Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Uruguay, Argentina, The Bahamas), 8 abstentions (Barbados, Belize, El Salvador, Grenada, Haiti, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda) and three countries absent (Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Bolivia)

The complete video of the meeting is available here.

Reference: E-048/18