politics
May 8, 2026
Nicaraguan Organizations in Exile Ask OAS to Keep Nicaragua Crisis as a Priority in 2026
Various Nicaraguan political and civil society organizations in exile have requested that the Organization of American States (OAS) keep the human rights crisis and democratic deterioration in Nicaragua as a priority issue during the 56th General Assembly of the organization, scheduled to be held in Panama.
TL;DR
- Nicaraguan organizations in exile have appealed to the OAS to prioritize the nation's human rights and democratic crisis at the 2026 General Assembly.
- The letter, sent to the OAS's Voluntary Group for Nicaragua and co-facilitators Canada and Chile, expresses deep concern over the deteriorating freedoms under Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
- Specific denunciations include an increase in political prisoners, forced disappearances, elimination of public liberties, closure of democratic spaces, and restrictions on freedom of the press, expression, religion, and indigenous rights.
- The organizations also pointed to the growing number of 'de facto stateless' individuals and transnational repression against opponents and exiles, characterizing Nicaragua as a 'state of terror'.
- They urged OAS member states to reference the 2021 resolution that deemed Nicaragua's general elections undemocratic and requested a hearing with the Voluntary Group to update information and discuss needs for international support.