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STATEMENT OF OAS SECRETARY GENERAL ON DEVELOPMENTS IN NICARAGUA

  September 23, 2005

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, expressed serious concern regarding the latest developments in Nicaragua, which caused the Interior Minister and other executive branch officials to be stripped of their legal immunity, and issued the following statement:

“These decisions come at a time in which we had been exploring, along with the government, the FSLN (Sandinista National Liberation Front) and the PLC (Constitutionalist Liberal Party), ways to establish a negotiation process to overcome the country’s institutional crisis.

“This decision acts against the possibility of resolving the current crisis and prolongs a situation of uncertainty that is increasingly causing harm to Nicaraguan society and to its democratic consolidation.

“I therefore urge the parties to avoid this type of action and to send clear signals that their disposition to negotiate is not simply an expression of will, showing through concrete actions their interest in initiating a broad dialogue that can lead to agreements that preserve the country’s governance.

“The OAS will continue its mediation effort through the mission headed by the Secretary General’s special representative, Dante Caputo, who has consistently represented the views of this General Secretariat and of the OAS Permanent Council, and who counts on my complete support.”

Reference: E-209/05