Representatives from across the Nicaraguan opposition´s political spectrum attending the OAS General Assembly in Panama have agreed on a common message calling for concrete action against the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship.
Inspired by recent measures taken by the United States against other authoritarian regimes in the region and following months of behind-the-scenes work, a broad and diverse delegation of Nicaraguans has developed a “unified message” that it plans to promote at the 56th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), which begins Monday in Panama.
The delegation views it as a victory that Nicaragua’s crisis is included on the Assembly’s agenda and hopes to build on that by urging the organization to move beyond statements and implement the recommendations contained in its previous resolutions.
The unified message will continue to focus on defending democracy, restoring the rule of law, and securing justice for victims. However, the delegation argues that discussions should also address emerging patterns of repression, including the enforced disappearance of political prisoners, the transnational persecution of opposition members in exile, and restrictions on religious freedom. Delegates believe the latter issue may encourage some countries to finally acknowledge that Daniel Ortega “is the thorn in the side” of the Americas.
“Our mission is to convince delegates that they must take firm positions. The time for speeches and expressions of concern has passed. Now it is time to promote concrete actions and activate the mechanisms available to the OAS to implement its resolutions,” said one member of the delegation, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals.
“The OAS has tools at its disposal to give real force to its resolutions. Let us remember that it was an OAS resolution that helped bring Somoza’s rule to an end,” the delegate added.
More Than 30 Nicaraguans Attend the OAS General Assembly
Former political prisoner and coordinator of Citizens for Liberty (CxL) in exile, Juan Sebastián Chamorro, said the Nicaraguan delegation consists of around 30 individuals representing political, social, environmental, and feminist organizations, along with a smaller group of citizens attending in a personal capacity.
The delegation includes representatives from right-wing, centrist, and left-wing political organizations. In addition to participating in the 56th General Assembly, members will attend numerous side events, where they plan to engage with ambassadors and official delegations to encourage individual countries to take action.
The delegation believes that current regional political conditions make this the right moment to increase pressure on the Ortega-Murillo regime, particularly since the OAS declared the government illegitimate in 2021.
A Decisive General Assembly
“For us, this General Assembly is decisive,” said student leader Lesther Alemán, who is attending on behalf of the Nicaraguan University Alliance (AUN).
“The international context, along with a series of political and strategic mistakes made by the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship—including its growing ties with Russia and China—has created an ideal environment for increasing international pressure. Moreover, I believe the OAS has the greatest interest in safeguarding democratic standards across the Americas,” Alemán added.
Chamorro described Nicaragua’s inclusion on the Assembly agenda as a significant achievement, especially because the issue was absent from last year’s gathering.
“Despite the situations in Venezuela and Cuba, as well as the security and stability challenges facing the region, Nicaragua remains on the agenda,” he said.
“The Assembly will not discuss the dialogue between Cuba and the United States, Costa Rica’s security problems, or the instability in Ecuador and Bolivia. Nor will it focus on Venezuela’s managed transition. Instead, attention is being directed toward Nicaragua. For us, that is the first goal scored in this tournament, because our country will be discussed,” the student leader added.
The OAS Must Rise to the Challenge
Members of the delegation agree that the OAS must respond appropriately to the current crisis. They stress the importance of reaffirming the regime’s lack of democratic legitimacy stemming from the 2021 elections, as established in the resolution adopted at the 51st General Assembly in November 2021.
“At that time, they recognized Ortega’s illegitimacy, and he remains illegitimate both in origin and in the exercise of power,” Alemán said.
Among the outcomes the delegation hopes to achieve during the Assembly, which runs from June 22 to 24 in Panama City, is persuading governments to avoid actions that could be interpreted as recognizing or legitimizing the Ortega-Murillo regime. Delegates cited recent remarks by Costa Rican President Laura Fernández as an example of statements that could be perceived in that way.
They also seek to prevent distinctions from being made between the Nicaraguan state and Ortega’s government when discussing the country’s situation.
Although the Ortega-Murillo government withdrew from the OAS in November 2023 after denouncing the organization’s charter two years earlier, delegation members insist that the organization still bears historic responsibilities toward Nicaragua.
Historic Responsibilities Remain
According to Alemán, those responsibilities include maintaining dialogue with opposition groups, helping create conditions for a peaceful resolution to Nicaragua’s socio-political crisis, facilitating internationally credible elections, and supporting political transition efforts. He emphasized that responsibility for such efforts does not lie solely with the OAS but also with its member states.
“Some actions can be taken through multilateral mechanisms, while others depend on individual governments,” Alemán said. “It is important to determine what each member state can do independently, especially since the balance of power has shifted to some degree, although we have also encountered surprises.”
“For example, at one point we believed we could count on El Salvador, yet the government of Nayib Bukele is now the one that consistently inserts reservations into OAS Permanent Council discussions,” he added.
Opposition Presents a United Front, «a Shared Narrative»
Chamorro attributed the delegation’s unified message to months of dialogue and negotiation.
“The most important thing is that this preparatory work resulted in a specific OAS declaration on Nicaragua, and that is something worth celebrating,” he said.
For Alemán, it is a milestone that the entire delegation is participating with a common message despite ideological differences.
“Eight years after the beginning of the crisis, we have built a shared narrative. Through different voices, we are showing the international community that, despite our differences, there is broad agreement among Nicaraguans,” he said.
He argued that opposition groups should continue working quietly and focus on producing results, rather than merely announcing unity.
“Unity should not be presented as an end in itself, but as a means to achieve results,” Alemán said. “For months, there have been marathon meetings focused not only on the OAS but also on broader international advocacy efforts. The reality confronting us is that the international community can do more, and that becomes possible when there is consensus among those directly affected.”
The anonymous opposition member agreed, noting that some governments had previously justified their reluctance to take stronger positions by pointing to divisions within the opposition.
“Now it will be very difficult for them to argue that the problem is a lack of unity among the opposition,” he said. “I believe the opposition is united in demanding that the OAS take action.”
