Some countries and international organizations have shown their concern about the current political, social and economic situation that Nicaragua is facing

On September 10, Daniel Ortega decided not to continue with the national dialogue, since "the Nicaraguan president concluded that these processes did not work and that therefore it is not worthwhile to continue trying," EFE reported. According to the same agency, the executive leader clarified in an interview with Deutsche Welle that although the negotiations will not be resumed from a national table, it is being done from the local, that is, "from the base".

Leer en español: Nicaragua: La comunidad internacional se manifiesta mientras la crisis avanza

International pressure

Ortega's decisions have not been well recieved by the international community, especially by organizations such as the United Nations (UN) or the Organization of American States (OAS). According to El Nuevo Diario of Nicaragua, the OAS convened an extraordinary meeting in order to establish the measures to be taken in the case of Nicaragua and thus generate pressure on Daniel Ortega's government.

It is worth remembering that the session was organized by the Canadian representation in the OAS, the same one in charge of the Working Group on Nicaragua, the same one that the Nicaraguan president has not allowed to enter his country, explains the newspaper La Prensa.

You may be interested: Latin America: a deadly region for human rights defenders

The same Nicaraguan media collected the statements of the director for Latin America of the Freedom House organization, Carlos Ponce, who assured that the United States is also collecting certain legal mechanisms to counteract the Ortega regime in Nicaragua, through the "The Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act of 2018."

Ortega's response

It seems that the pressure of the North American country has borne fruit, as demonstrated Ortega in an interview with France 24. "I said that I am willing to talk to him," said Ortega in relation to a possible meeting between him and U.S. president, Donald Trump.

In addition, he assured that "the dialogue with a power like the United States (…) is something necessary and essential", but he did not hesitate to blame the U.S. too for the political disorder present in his country today. He even asserted that "nothing can be ruled out of the United States, even military intervention."

Other reactions

Pope Francis was another of the great international figures who spoke about the harsh situation in Nicaragua through a message of encouragement and solidarity with this nation. "On the occasion of the national holiday of Nicaragua (Independence Day that is celebrated on September 15), I send all the sons and daughters of that beloved country a cordial greeting, assuring them of my prayer so that Jesus Christ, prince of peace, grant them the gifts of a fraternal reconciliation and a peaceful and solidary coexistence," said the Supreme Pontiff.

For her part, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, also manifested herself in relation to Nicaragua, although she was not as benevolent as Francisco. In her debut in front of the Human Rights of the UN, she recalled the flight that the delegation of the OHCHR of Nicaragua had to make a few days ago and asked "the Council to strengthen its supervision of the country".

You can also read: Latin America: The region with the highest number of enforced disappearances

The situation in Nicaragua

Since April 18, Nicaragua has experienced one of its worst social and political times in its history, with the Government of Daniel Ortega as the protagonist of this situation. The continuous deployment of citizen protests against the administration of the Nicaraguan president, as well as the military intervention to counteract these movements, have as a consequence "more than 300 people (killed) and at least 2,000 wounded" to date, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

In addition, the attempts to normalize the situation in the Central American country have not paid off. Since the month of May, a commission organized by the Catholic Church has tried to normalize political activities in that territory. However, all attempts have been interrupted by the refusal of either of the two parties to give ground in a social conflict that is approaching five months from its beginning.

LatinAmerican Post | Christopher Ramírez Hernández

Translated from "Así se ha manifestado la comunidad internacional sobre la situación de Nicaragua"