The United States and Canada on Thursday condemned the recent elections in Nicaragua at the 51st General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), while Mexico questioned the relevance of the regional body to make facing the problems of the continent.

The second day of the General Assembly, which is being held virtually in Guatemala, had Nicaragua as the main topic of discussion, in addition to the Venezuelan regime.

The “situation” of ambos countries practically monopolized the deliberations of the 34 Estados miembros del órgano regional, which was celebrated from November 10 to 12 at Asamblea General, weighs in constantly on various moments of the day for part of Nicaragua during the session of this Thursday.

The United States and Canada were the nations that most strongly criticized Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega during their speeches, re-elected last Sunday in a controversial election called a “farce” by the international community.

During his speech, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken endorsed Washington’s rejection of the elections in Nicaragua, in addition to directing his criticisms at Cuba and Venezuela.

“In the recent elections in Nicaragua, the Ortega government prevented some leaders of opposition parties and civil society from participating,” recalled Blinken, who mentioned that his country had issued a resolution in this assembly to condemn the executive headed by the Sandinista leader.

The draft resolution on the OAS agenda was included in item 24 of the Assembly agenda, promoted by the representations of Canada, Antigua and Barbuda, Chile, from Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay, to be discussed on Friday.

The inclusion of the resolution, early this Thursday, caused the rejection of Nicaragua through its representative, Michael Campbell, who asked for the “respect” of the Central American nation.

The draft resolution on “the situation in Nicaragua” deplores that the Central American country has ignored the diplomatic and technical initiatives undertaken since June 2019 by the OAS to promote “representative democracy and the protection of human rights”. .

CRITICISM OF CUBA AND VENEZUELA

On another subject, the head of American diplomacy also demanded the “release of all American citizens illegally detained in Venezuela”.

Furthermore, he referred to Cuba, where he condemned the arrest of “many people” during the day of protests on July 11, including Yolanda de la Cruz, a 26-year-old girl, to whom he assured “have an eight-year sentence for broadcasting the protest live”.

Blinken also recalled that Cuban opposition leaders “called for another protest on November 15.”

DISPUTE BETWEEN CANADA AND NICARAGUA

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly assured that her country is “deeply concerned about what has just happened in Nicaragua” in reference to last Sunday’s elections, which she described as “unfair” and that “they were not free to imprison opposition leaders, journalists and members of civil society”.

“Daniel Ortega’s regime has removed Nicaragua from the family of democracies in the hemisphere,” said the official, who called on other OAS member countries “not to sit idly by” and “to act collectively here” in the assembly.

In response, the representative of Nicaragua rejected Canada’s “misrepresentations” and again stated that “Nicaragua respects itself”.

Campbell took the opportunity to mention that “the whole world has watched in amazement at the discovery of unmarked graves of boys and girls” in Canada.

The Nicaraguan ambassador to the OAS said that “it is estimated that between 1883 and 1996, more than 150,000 indigenous children were separated from their families and sent to government reform schools where they suffered all kinds of physical and sexual abuse, torture and even murder”.

In conclusion, the Nicaraguan official wondered if “can there be democracy without the full participation of indigenous peoples? Can there be democracy without justice for so many indigenous families and communities?

MEXICO QUERIES REGIONAL BODY

At the end of the deliberative session on Thursday, Mexico questioned the work of the regional entity and accused its secretary general, the Uruguayan Luis Almagro, of having “profoundly undermined” the Organization of States Americans.

“The OAS should be an inclusive organization, promoter of political dialogue, cooperation, integration and development of member states, but this is not the case,” said the Permanent Representative of Mexico to the continental entity, Luz Elena Baños Rivas during her speech.

“On the contrary, it is a space where differences and isolation deepen, and where biased agendas are promoted,” the diplomat added.

Baños questioned, among other things, Almagro’s role during the political crisis in Bolivia in 2019 and the “biased” behavior of the secretary general.

The diplomat said that “it is enough to review Almagro’s social networks” to “check his intense personal agenda talking about subjects that are his personal priorities, often distant from the interests, needs and challenges of our peoples and of our governments”.

Delegations from 34 countries will participate until Friday in the deliberations of the main body of the OAS, which, on its last day of the General Assembly, plans to address the situation in Nicaragua, as well as a related point. in the Malvinas Islands.