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OAS SENDS HIGH-LEVEL DELEGATION TO NICARAGUA

  October 17, 2004

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), responding to a request by Nicaragua and the other countries that belong to the Central American Integration System (SICA), agreed today to send a high-level delegation to Nicaragua to learn firsthand about the situation in that country.

The Permanent Council designated the Acting Secretary General, Luigi R. Einaudi, and the Chair of the Permanent Council, Ambassador Aristides Royo of Panama, to comprise the delegation, which will leave tomorrow for Nicaragua and will meet with all sectors of society, including President Enrique Bolaños.

The delegation will also speak with members of the Supreme Court, the National Assembly, the Office of the Comptroller General, and representatives of political parties and other sectors. After returning to OAS headquarters, the delegation will present a report to the Permanent Council for its consideration and analysis.

Today’s special session was convened at the request of the permanent representatives to the OAS of the SICA member countries, in response to a resolution approved by their presidents at a meeting yesterday in Managua.

At the beginning of the Permanent Council session, Nicaragua’s Ambassador to the OAS, Carmen Marina Gutiérrez, underscored the importance of “preventive diplomacy” and asked the OAS member states to respond to the request for an urgent visit to Nicaragua.

“Any threat to democracy in any of our countries constitutes a threat to each and every one of the other states of this hemisphere,” she said.

Reference: E-185/04