The government of Gustavo Petro has received strong criticism in recent hours due to the absence of the Colombian delegation in the permanent council of the Organization of American States (OAS) in which the countries condemned the repression in Nicaragua.
In an extraordinary session held on Friday, the permanent council adopted a resolution on the situation in that country, with 27 votes in favor of the 34 active members, one against (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) and four abstentions (Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico).
(You can read: Who is Luis Ernesto Vargas, the new Petro ambassador to the OAS)
The OAS specifically condemned the government of Daniel Ortega for “harassment” of the Catholic Church and the persecution of the press and NGOs. Likewise, he demanded that the government release the political prisoners.
However, during the session there was two absences important: that of Nicaragua, as expected, and that of Colombia.
In the videos of the session you can see the moment in which the country is called to vote. However, no official was connected during the voting: “Colombia is absent.”
Since last July 8, President Gustavo Petro appointed Luis Ernesto Vargas as the country’s new ambassador to the OAS, replacing Alejandro Ordóñez, appointed by the government of former President Duque and who said goodbye to the Organization on August 3.
In a comment on his Twitter account, Vargas answered why there were no officials present and stated that they have not presented the documents required to officially assume the position in the OAS.
“Someone started blaming us as officials without us being one yet. We have not been named, much less have we presented documents for possession, but they are already accusing us of omissions”, he wrote after being questioned about the absence of the country in the voting.
(Also: Gustavo Petro appoints León Fredy Muñoz as Nicaraguan ambassador)
Someone started blaming us as civil servants even though we are not. We have not been named, much less have we presented documents for possession, but they are already accusing us of omissions. Have the decency to investigate. And, I was a Race Judge: I only decided based on evidence!
– Luis Ernesto Vargas (@LEVargasSilva) August 15, 2022
It should also be remembered that President Petro appointed this week León Fredy Muñoz as the new ambassador of Colombia in that country, who made it clear that his priority will be to restore relations between the two nations.
“With the winds of change, the doors open for our country to return to brotherhood in Latin America (…). The reestablishment of relations with Nicaragua will be a reality”, he wrote after being appointed to the position.
With the winds of change, the doors are opening for our country to return to brotherhood in Latin America.
I thank the president @petrogustavo for this designation and trust. The reestablishment of relations with Nicaragua will be a reality. pic.twitter.com/Gt249vfTfp– León Fredy Muñoz (@LeonFredyM) August 12, 2022
Reactions after the absence
One of the first to issue his criticism after his absence from the session of the OAS It was former presidential candidate Sergio Fajardo, who wrote on his Twitter account that “it is a great shame” that the country refrains from condemning the situation of repression in that Central American nation.
“Colombia’s position regarding the situation in Nicaragua, by refraining from condemning the aberrant and systematic violation of human rights by the Ortega government, is a great shame. Not like this,” she wrote.
(You can read: ‘I will put my efforts in defense of the peace process and the human rights agenda’: Vargas)
Colombia’s position regarding the situation in Nicaragua, by refraining from condemning the aberrant and systematic violation of human rights by the Ortega government, is a great shame. Not that way. https://t.co/sxRTgXBcle
– Sergio Fajardo (@sergio_fajardo) August 14, 2022
There was also criticism from other opposition sectors. Andrés Forero, representative to the Chamber for the Democratic Center, wrote on Twitter: “Ideological affinities outweighed the defense of the Democratic Charter.”
embarrassing debut of @petrogustavo in the OAS.
The Colombian delegation was absent while a resolution condemning human rights violations and persecution against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua was voted on.
Ideological affinities weighed more than the defense of the Democratic Charter. pic.twitter.com/YWrfZoAEf1
— Andrés Forero CD #1️⃣0️⃣1️⃣ (@AForeroM) August 13, 2022
Former Vice Minister Rafael Nieto Loaiza wrote: “This government and this Foreign Ministry are off to a bad start, as expected.”
They start badly, as expected, this government and this Foreign Ministry. Colombia was absent from the OAS session where the condemnation of Nicaragua was voted for the persecution of the oneges and the Catholic Church.
Cowardice and shame!https://t.co/TQ2fQO2ohB
– Rafael Nieto Loaiza (@RafaNietoLoaiza) August 12, 2022
For the first time after several years, Colombia refuses to condemn a dictatorship in Latin America. The Petro government has decided to absent itself from the OAS and not condemn the Nicaraguan dictatorship, it was the only country absent from the entire organization. Creepy start from Petro.
— Agustín Antonetti (@agusantonetti) August 13, 2022
What is happening in Nicaragua?
And the situation in that country is critical. The authorities of Nicaragua they have ordered the closure of at least 958 civil society organizations since the popular revolt of April 2018.
Ortega considered those protests a failed coup promoted by the opposition with the support of Washington and the complicity of the bishops.
The Nicaraguan government criticizes the priests since the protests for having given shelter to demonstrators injured or fleeing from the repression that left 355 dead, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
The president of the IACHR, Julissa Mantilla Falcón, denounced in Friday’s session “the new attack against the Church” and the case of Bishop Rolando Álvarez, held in the curia and whom Ortega’s vice president and wife, Rosario Murillo, accuses of commit “crimes against spirituality”.
And the press is also under attack. “The repressive escalation against the independent press has generated zones of media silence” and access to journalistic sources has become an ordeal “due to the generalized fear of the population to express themselves,” said the president of the IACHR.
The Permanent Council resolution is important because it means that @OAS_oficial is not silent and condemns human rights violations and supports democracy in the hemisphere. #Nicaragua it needs dialogue to free political prisoners and redemocratize the country.
My words pic.twitter.com/piXGdtSqOe
— Luis Almagro (@Almagro_OEA2015) August 12, 2022
The OAS, therefore, requested that Nicaragua “stop the persecution and intimidation of the independent press and guarantee the exercise of the right to freedom of expression.”
In addition, Nicaragua must “immediately release all political prisoners,” insisted the OAS, referring to some 190 detained opponents, including seven former presidential candidates who sought to challenge Ortega in the November elections, in which the former guerrilla He won his fourth consecutive term.
It should be remembered that Ortega announced the withdrawal of Nicaragua from the OAS, but the Organization reminded him that he must comply with his obligations until November 18, 2023, when his withdrawal would become effective.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING*
*With information from AFP and EFE
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