Uruguay's National Party Condemns Ortega's Remarks on Nicaraguan Elections

Uruguay's National Party issued a forceful statement Friday, condemning Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's recent comments suggesting that "elections will not happen again" in his country. The remarks were made by Ortega during the commemoration of the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution on July 19. He also reportedly advised against allowing the opposition to "capture power." Following Ortega's statement, the president of the Nicaraguan Parliament attempted to clarify that elections would still occur, but under a revised constitutional framework designed to prevent foreign interference and protect against "traitors to the homeland."

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not to return to elections

The National Party's leadership declared that Ortega's statement "constitutes an open disregard for the essential principles of representative democracy and the right of the Nicaraguan people to freely elect their rulers through periodic, free, fair, transparent, and pluralistic elections." They characterized the incident as "just another pearl in the necklace of contumacious human rights violations" occurring in Nicaragua since 2021.

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constitutes an open disregard for the essential principles of representative democracy and the right of the Nicaraguan people to freely elect their rulers through periodic, free, fair, transparent, and pluralistic elections.

In their statement, the party urged the government of President Yamandú Orsi to also condemn Ortega's regime, which they claim "does not guarantee the freedom and free expression" of Nicaraguans. They implored Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, who shares power with him, to retract their statements and ensure the Nicaraguan people's right to "authentic, competitive, and democratic" elections. The National Party reiterated its "unwavering commitment to the defense of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law," principles they stated are collective obligations for the American states.

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does not guarantee the freedom and free expression

This follows a similar stance taken by the Colorado Party's National Executive Committee earlier in the week, which also called on the Orsi government to file a complaint against the situation with the Organization of American States (OAS).

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authentic, competitive, and democratic