OAS to discuss Nicaragua's potential election cancellation amid constitutional reform

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) will convene today to discuss Nicaragua's impending constitutional reform, which aims to remove presidential term limits. This move follows President Daniel Ortega's controversial announcement that elections will cease in the country, a declaration that has drawn sharp criticism from international bodies.

The extraordinary session, requested by the United States, will focus on a draft resolution condemning Ortega's statements and the proposed constitutional changes. The U.S. delegation argues that these actions represent a "direct rejection" of Nicaraguans' right to choose their leaders through free elections. The resolution calls for a meeting of foreign ministers to evaluate potential collective measures.

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The U.S. delegation also presented a draft resolution titled 'Convening of a Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs to Consider the Situation in Nicaragua,' in which it maintains that Ortega's statements and the constitutional reform, which seeks to establish a 'renewable seven-year presidential term', represent a 'direct rejection' of the right of Nicaraguan citizenship to elect their rulers 'through free elections.'

U.S. diplomats contend that Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo's actions have "drastically aggravated" Nicaragua's already dire situation. They emphasize that the "open declaration of the permanent elimination of peaceful electoral change" poses significant regional risks, including mass illegal immigration and forced exile of Nicaraguans. The proposed constitutional amendment would also extend terms for the head of the army, national police directors, and nearly seven thousand other positions.

Although Nicaragua formally withdrew from the OAS in November 2023, it remains connected to the Inter-American system through autonomous bodies. The draft resolution also highlights concerns about the deteriorating independence of the judiciary and legislature, alleged extrajudicial executions, and the facilitation of foreign military and intelligence activities within Nicaragua. Importantly, the resolution clarifies that it does not authorize the use of armed force.

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This intensification poses a threat to the common interest of the States of the Americas, with serious consequences for the democratic order, human rights, forced displacement, transnational repression, and regional peace and stability.