Original: Spanish
The Presidium reiterates the condemnation expressed at the last Council meeting of the Socialist International over the responsibility of the authorities of Nicaragua for the growing number of victims, the political polarisation and the violent confrontations that have occurred in that country for more than five months. These occurrences, far from being resolved through a process of dialogue which today is halted, have left more than five hundred dead, thousands wounded and hundreds of political prisoners.
The Presidium considers unacceptable the serious human rights violations that have taken place in Nicaragua during the last months and also condemns the responsibility that lies with the police force, vigilantes and other armed groups, which must be duly established and sanctioned. In order to restore and advance a true dialogue, this should be inclusive and be carried out within a peaceful framework, as has been recently expressed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Practices such as the indiscriminate and excessive use of force against protesters and the judicial persecution of the political opposition must end. All political prisoners must be immediately released.
The SI considers unacceptable the hostility shown by the Nicaraguan government towards regional and international bodies which have been involved in the current situation in accordance with their mandate and competence. To declare that the actions of the OAS and the United Nations are interventionist, reveals an outdated view of the relations between sovereignty and human rights. The Presidium calls on the government of Nicaragua to ensure the free and full functioning of international institutions in the country. Finally, the SI expresses its grave concern over the thousands of Nicaraguans who are fleeing their country and ending up mainly in Costa Rica, aggravating the Central American migration crisis.
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