Q COSTA RICA — On Friday, October 2, Costa Rica condemned what it described as an “authoritarian drift” in Nicaragua and called for the creation of conditions for holding free, pluralistic elections with international observation during an extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington.
Costa Rica’s position was presented by Deputy Foreign Minister Adriana Bolaños, who maintained that the country is witnessing a deterioration of democratic conditions and political pluralism in Nicaragua under the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
“We are facing a systematic process of eliminating political pluralism, closing civic space, and concentrating power. Costa Rica firmly condemns this authoritarian drift,” Bolaños stated during the session.
The meeting was convened by the OAS Permanent Council after it determined that recent events in Nicaragua constituted “a matter of urgency and common interest for the American States.”
During the gathering, member countries approved a resolution calling on Nicaraguan authorities to restore civil liberties, move toward conditions that allow for free elections, and release individuals detained for political reasons.
The OAS also agreed to establish a diplomatic monitoring mechanism to assess progress and determine potential future actions. Costa Rica deported 23 foreign nationals, including 10 Colombians with criminal backgrounds.
Costa Rica calls for moving from concern to action
In her remarks, Bolaños stated that the regional organization should not limit itself to expressing concern and highlighted the need to move toward measures with defined objectives and monitoring mechanisms.
“Our demands must be clear: release those detained for political reasons; fully restore civil and political rights, including nationality; comply with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ provisional measures; and create genuine conditions for free, pluralistic elections with international observation,” she stated.
The resolution adopted by the OAS also calls for information regarding the whereabouts of missing persons, the restoration of the separation of powers, and the reinstatement of nationality for those who were stripped of it.
At the conclusion of the session, OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin stated that the mechanism’s goal would be to help create conditions allowing Nicaraguans to exercise their rights and determine their political future through “democratic institutions and free, fair, and inclusive elections.”
The meeting took place one day after the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the United Nations Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua asked OAS member states to place human rights, the rule of law, and accountability at the center of their deliberations.
Both bodies noted that, since the onset of the socio-political crisis in Nicaragua in April 2018, they have documented a pattern of violations including arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture, deaths in state custody, confiscation of property, and arbitrary deprivation of nationality.
They also called for the immediate and unconditional release of individuals detained for political reasons, the clarification of the whereabouts of missing persons, and the restoration of civic space.
These statements come from international bodies that have documented the situation; the Nicaraguan government has historically rejected external criticism regarding its political and human rights situation.
The OAS approved a resolution calling for the release of individuals detained for political reasons and the restoration of civil rights.
Costa Rica highlights migration impact
The Costa Rican Deputy Foreign Minister also highlighted the consequences the Nicaraguan crisis has had for Costa Rica as a neighboring country.
Bolaños noted that Costa Rica has received tens of thousands of Nicaraguan citizens seeking protection, employment, and other opportunities since the political crisis began.
“We know that when democracy is systematically undermined, looking the other way is not prudence; it is inaction,” she stated.
The official added that “the Nicaraguan people have the right to live in freedom, to choose between different political options, and to democratically decide their future.”
Costa Rica has maintained a critical stance toward the Ortega government since the 2018 political crisis, when protests against the administration escalated into severe internal conflict and sparked international allegations of human rights violations.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries have remained at the consular level since then. During the administration of former President Carlos Alvarado (2018-2022) chose not to appoint a new ambassador to Managua amidst allegations regarding the repression of protesters and political opponents.
OAS establishes monitoring mechanism
Friday’s discussion followed statements by Ortega regarding the future of electoral processes in Nicaragua and renewed regional concerns about political guarantees in the country.
According to the resolution, the OAS aims to maintain diplomatic channels with both Nicaraguan authorities and other stakeholders involved in the crisis in order to assess political and electoral conditions.
The inter-American body retains the capacity to coordinate responses among its member states, even though Nicaragua formalized its withdrawal from the organization in 2023.
In recent months, Costa Rica has raised concerns regarding Nicaragua in multilateral forums such as the OAS and the United Nations (UN), particularly concerning restrictions on fundamental freedoms, detentions, and the shrinking of civic space.
The position put forward this Friday insists that any resolution to the crisis must include conditions that allow for the resumption of political competition and the exercise of civil rights. rights.