Archive · 3 Oct 2026
OAS Backs Call for Nicaragua to Restore Civil Liberties
The Organization of American States, or OAS, approved a call for Nicaragua to restore civil liberties.
It also called for political prisoners to be freed and for fair elections to be possible.
The resolution asks authorities to share information about people who have been forcibly disappeared.
The OAS plans to create a task force to speak with Nicaraguan officials and people living in exile.
The group will later recommend what members could do next.
The OAS cannot impose sanctions itself, but its members can use it to coordinate measures.
The United States wanted stronger language about Nicaragua, while Brazil and Mexico disagreed that the country should be treated as a regional threat.
The Organization of American States approved a resolution calling on Nicaragua to free political prisoners and restore civil liberties.
The resolution also calls for fair-election conditions and information about people who have been forcibly disappeared.
OAS Secretary-General Albert Ramdin said members should consider concrete action beyond verbal condemnation.
The OAS plans a task force to engage Nicaraguan authorities and exiles before recommending possible actions.
The meeting exposed disagreement: the United States urged stronger language, while Brazil and Mexico opposed framing Nicaragua as a regional threat.
- Who
- The Organization of American States and its member governments; the resolution calls on Nicaraguan authorities to act.
- What
- The OAS approved a resolution urging Nicaragua to free political prisoners, restore civil liberties, and address conditions for fair elections.
- When
- Friday, October 2; the article does not specify the year.
- Where
- At an OAS meeting of foreign ministers; Nicaragua is the country addressed by the resolution.
- Why
- The resolution responds to concerns about human rights abuses and restrictions on civil liberties in Nicaragua.
U.S. and aligned governments
Brazil, Mexico and other governments
How strongly to address Nicaragua
U.S. and aligned governments
The United States and aligned right-leaning governments pushed for stronger language in the resolution.
Brazil, Mexico and other governments
Brazil, Mexico and other Latin American countries opposed treating Nicaragua as a regional threat.
Nicaragua's regional security significance
U.S. and aligned governments
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Nicaragua's crisis was not solely an internal matter and alleged outside actors were using the country to threaten regional security.
Brazil, Mexico and other governments
Brazil and Mexico said Nicaragua should not be considered a regional threat.
- Resolution
- Approved by the OAS on Friday, October 2.
- Main demands
- Free political prisoners and restore civil liberties.
- Additional calls
- Establish conditions for fair elections and disclose the whereabouts of forcibly disappeared people.
- Next step
- The OAS plans a task force to engage Nicaraguan authorities and exiles, then recommend concrete actions.
- OAS limitation
- The organization cannot impose sanctions itself, but can provide a forum for members to coordinate measures.
- Nicaragua and the OAS
- Nicaragua left the organization in 2023.
- Meeting
- The first OAS foreign ministers' meeting in seven years was attended largely by deputies or ambassadors.
- Diplomatic action
- The Dominican Republic announced it would withdraw its embassy from Nicaragua.