A group of 71 Nicaraguan exilesmostly denationalizedurged on Tuesday the international community to intensify sanctions against the regime Daniel Ortega y Rosario Murilloincluding the expulsion of Nicaragua of the Free Trade Agreement between Central America and the United States (CAFTA).
This request comes after the recent constitutional reform approved in the first legislature, which grants absolute power to the regime, describing it as a “self-coup d’état.”
In a joint statement, the signatories, including the former guerrilla Dora María Téllez and the NGO Nicaragua Collective Never Againrejected the new Constitution as an attempt to consolidate a “family hereditary dictatorship”.
According to the document, the reform seeks to establish “a two-headed absolutist monarchy” that intensifies the political and military repression in the country.
The opposition group recommended concrete actions such as suspending Nicaragua’s access to the SWIFT systemused by banks for international transactions, and the immediate cessation of financing from multilateral organizations.
They also urged the initiation of legal proceedings against Ortega in international courts for “crimes against humanity,” including complaints of genocide, murders and torture.
“Personal declarations and sanctions are insufficient. Ending a dictatorship like that of Ortega and Murillo is a contribution to democracy throughout the continent“, they noted in their statement.
Likewise, they asked the international community for greater financial and organizational support for the resistance inside and outside Nicaragua.
He Nicaraguan Parliament Last Friday, it approved a reform that redefines the country as a State of “direct democracy” controlled by the Presidency. This amendment gives Ortega and Murillo absolute powers over the other powers of the State, extends the presidential term from five to six years, and creates the figure of “co-president”, concentrating power even more in the presidential binomial.
According to opponents, these measures are a “declaration of political war to the people of Nicaragua”. In response, they called on all opposition sectors to coordinate efforts to accelerate “the process of implosion of the regime.”
The group also appealed to the armed forces and police of the country not to participate in acts of repression. “The Army was not built to be praetorian nor to serve two criminals against humanity”, they stated, urging institutions to stand on the side of democracy, justice and freedom.
The constitutional reform of Orteganumber 12 since he assumed power, generated strong international criticism, including from organizations that denounce the growing authoritarianism in Nicaragua.
This statement by the exiles reinforces the pressure on the international community to adopt forceful measures to stop the consolidation of the dictatorship in the Central American country.
The signatories stressed that sanctions and material support are essential to weaken the regime and restore democracy, stressing that this effort will not only benefit Nicaraguabut will contribute to democratic stability in the region.
(With information from EFE)
