Confidential

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) approved this Friday — in an extraordinary session — a resolution condemning the occupation of his office in Nicaragua, which took place on April 24, and demanding that the State of Nicaragua restore it.

The resolution read by the permanent representative of Antigua and Barbuda, Ambassador Ronald Michael Sanders, was supported by 29 delegates, including: Canada, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, United States of America, Grenada, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Mexico and Argentina.

There were no votes against, but the delegates of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Honduras and El Salvador abstained from the vote. In addition, representatives of Bolivia and Nicaragua were not present.

The resolution deplores “the violation of the organization’s inviolable archives”, asserts “that the immunity of its assets is fully respected as long as they remain in Nicaragua” and requires that the use of premises confiscated by the Government of Nicaragua be returned.

“The government of Nicaragua is responsible for all failures to comply with its international legal obligations,” underlined the draft resolution and the OAS Secretariat General should communicate this to all international organizations present in Nicaragua, as well as to the Secretary-General. UN.

“In Nicaragua there is no respect for the right to life”

Uruguay’s permanent representative, Ambassador Washington Abdala, stressed that the 29 member states’ support for this resolution represents a “window of convergence” within regional organizations, but warned that the occupation of the OAS office was only a large part of the problem. .

“Hitting the diplomatic base, removing it, slapping it, was a sign of maximum arrogance, it showed that I could do whatever I wanted and we would have made a grave mistake, as a regional organization, to ignore the events of that entity, of that magnitude,” Abdala recalled.

However, “we must insist on finding—hopefully—a path where the light of hope shines and we can go there, but it’s hard, it’s hard. We don’t talk to people who talk like we talk, who talk like we talk, we talk to people who work with other codes and who violate the most sacred thing that society has, which is the right to life. In Nicaragua there is no respect for the right to life”, stressed the Uruguayan ambassador.

In the same vein, Canada’s permanent representative, Ambassador Hugh Adsett, emphasized that the country’s majority support for this resolution of what is happening in Nicaragua sends a strong message, as “the regime’s behavior is getting more and more appalling.”

Also, Chile’s permanent representative, Ambassador Sebastián Eugenio Kraljevich Chadwick, pointed out that at the OAS “we cannot give up demanding respect for the minimum rules of diplomatic coexistence.” However, we must not lose sight of the fact that “those most affected by what happened today in Nicaragua are Nicaraguans,” he stressed.

The special session was held at the request of the permanent missions of Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Canada, the United States and Grenada, said the chair of the OAS Permanent Council and permanent representative of Saint Lucia, Ambassador Elizabeth Darius-Clarke, in a speech to the permanent delegation.

Military manu took

The occupation of the OAS office in Nicaragua occurred on Sunday afternoon, April 24, minutes after Foreign Minister Denis Moncada informed the Secretariat General of Nicaraguan regional and community organizations that the Government of Daniel Ortega had decided to “cancel and close” the OAS office in Managua.

“Police forces occupied the headquarters of the office (OAS), confiscated its files, as well as all available materials. Secretariat General officials in Nicaragua could face serious risks,” OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro said in a letter he sent to the Permanent Council on April 26.

Two days later, on April 28, the Ortega regime authorized the takeover of a property leased by the OAS in Las Sierritas de Santo Domingo, in Managua, and forced the organization’s administrative staff to vacate the premises, which it declared a “public benefit”. and will be used by the Nicaraguan Institute of Culture (INC) for the construction of the “Museum of Abominations”.

International political analysts have pointed out that the occupation of the OAS headquarters in Managua is an unprecedented event in the history of the regional organization and is a “flagrant violation of international law” that exposes the country to “profound repercussions” in its relations with all member states of the regional body.

UNAB requests a meeting of OAS foreign ministers

Meanwhile, in Nicaragua, the opposition Political Council of the Blue and White National Union (UNAB), requested on May 11—via a public letter addressed to Ambassador Darius-Clarke—a meeting of OAS foreign ministers for the countries to express their considerations regarding What has happened.

UNAB joined a “chorus”, inside and outside the OAS, calling for a “strong and exemplary response” to the actions that took place in Nicaragua. Accordingly, “we wish to convey, at the discretion of you and your colleagues on the Standing Council, our assessment that the most appropriate response would be to convene a Consultative Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, in accordance with article 61 et seq. of the OAS Charter”, read the letter from the group.

Moreover, “we believe that what we have seen in recent days in Nicaragua outweighs the seriousness of the circumstances which led to the convening of the XVII Consultation Meeting in 2012, when the Ecuadorian diplomatic delegation in London was threatened by the possible application of a British national security law with the aim of arresting Julian. Assange… The principle of inviolability must be maintained and upheld”, concluded UNAB.

Ambassadors urged to take action

On 27 April, the OAS Permanent Council urged member states to take immediate action in the face of the occupation of their offices in Managua, bearing in mind the incident set a negative precedent in international relations. However, on that occasion, they did not vote or make a decision about what happened.

The OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, later claimed that “nothing can justify the waiver of the immunities and privileges enjoyed by the facilities, assets and archives of international organizations,” and what happened in Managua “sets a precedent.” that if tolerated it could cause tomorrow “the greatest atrocities against any international organization or against any diplomatic base.”

Antigua and Barbuda’s permanent representative, Ambassador Ronald Michael Sanders, also pointed out that the seizure of the OAS headquarters in Managua “was an attack, an attack, against each of our member states” and neither of them could pay attention. violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. “We must send a clear message to Nicaragua and other governments that we will not tolerate any action that weakens or destroys this tool of international relations,” he said.

Canada’s permanent representative, Ambassador Hugh Adsett, also stated that Daniel Ortega’s regime continues to demonstrate “that it is not open to any discussion” and that its actions will affect relations with all OAS member states in the near future. .

“It is imperative that we treat this act as a true legal and institutional abomination and see that it reflects the regime’s rejection of the commitments made to this organization. The Ortega regime ignores this Council recommendation, defies its international commitments and, most importantly, denies the human rights of the Nicaraguan people,” US Ambassador Bradley A. Freden said at the time.

This fact was widely disputed by permanent delegates, including Bolivia, Mexico and Argentina, which historically have not had a firm stance against Daniel Ortega’s regime.