Washington (United States) (AFP) - The countries of the Organization of American States (OAS) agreed this Friday to create a voluntary group of members to attempt a dialogue with Nicaragua, politically isolated due to the authoritarian drift of its government.

First modification: 10/02/2026 - 15:44 Last modification: 10/02/2026 - 21:49

Nicaragua is governed with an iron fist by former Sandinista guerrilla Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo. Ortega announced months ago that Nicaragua would stop holding elections. And at the beginning of September, the Nicaraguan Assembly excluded the opposition through an electoral reform.

Meeting in an extraordinary session in Washington, the foreign ministers and representatives of the 32 active OAS countries declared themselves this Friday "deeply concerned" about "the continued dismantling of representative democracy in Nicaragua," according to a final statement approved by consensus.

The objective of the negotiation group they created is to seek a "rapid and direct dialogue with the authorities." They were given 60 days to deliver their conclusions.

"The most important thing is to seek dialogue with those in power, to honor the spirit of cooperation in this region," declared OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin.

Subject to its obligations

The OAS cannot collectively apply isolation measures or sanctions against Nicaragua, which also left the hemispheric organization in November 2023.

But the countries present in Washington recalled that Managua remains subject to the demands of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the instruments for the protection of human rights.

"The denunciation of the Charter of the Organization does not exempt the State from its international obligations regarding human rights," the text states.

The last time the OAS convened an (emergency) "consultation meeting" of foreign ministers was at the end of 2019, to debate measures against Venezuela.

After the arrest by the United States of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Managua has been even more isolated in a region that has also undergone a marked shift to the right.

Washington has seen a historic opportunity to advance its interests in the current political cycle.

"We are watching them"

"Passing this resolution by consensus demonstrates our resolve to say to this dictatorship: 'we are all watching you,'" said US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at the meeting of foreign ministers.

Landau announced that Managua had refused the day before to give the green light to the ambassador nominated by the United States, Natasha Franceschi.

For months now, Washington has been applying a series of sanctions against the Nicaraguan presidential couple, their relatives and a good part of the country's government and public companies.

The decisions of the Central American government "have the potential to endanger the peace and security of our region," the foreign ministers warned.

Brazil and Uruguay, however, objected to this point, and recorded their reservations in footnotes of the declaration.

"The so-called peace by force, in quotes, is a slogan that can have a certain resonance in certain circles," declared the Brazilian ambassador to the OAS, Benoni Belli.

This "false peace" supposes "the alienation of national sovereignty," he denounced.

Managua considers the opposition as "traitors to the country", who are also "at the service" of Washington.

"Nicaraguans live under a dictatorship," denounced the special rapporteur of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Rosa María Payá.

"The situation in Nicaragua is a threat to regional security and not just an internal problem," he added.

Another issue that raises suspicions is the presence of countries like China and Russia in sectors such as defense or mining in Nicaragua.

The United States places particular emphasis on this aspect, according to the "Donroe" doctrine coined by President Donald Trump, which claims the right to fight against the presence of other powers in the hemisphere.

After negotiations, the foreign ministers agreed to declare themselves "deeply concerned about the risk of foreign interference in Nicaragua in matters of security, technology supply and information exchange."

© 2026 AFP

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