US plans OAS push to isolate Nicaragua

The United States says it will use the Organization of American States (OAS) to pressure and isolate Nicaragua over constitutional changes Washington says have further dismantled democracy in the Central American nation.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that the administration would use an upcoming OAS meeting to encourage countries across the Western Hemisphere to end what he described as "business as usual" with Nicaragua.

Rubio accused President Daniel Ortega and his wife and co-President, Rosario Murillo, of waging a "war on democracy" that he said posed a threat to stability and prosperity across the region.

The move follows the approval by Nicaraguan lawmakers of a sweeping package of constitutional reforms that significantly restricts the ability of opposition groups to participate in elections and extends the presidential term from six years to seven.

The reforms have already drawn condemnation from Washington and other governments in the region.

The OAS agreed last month to hold a meeting on Nicaragua, describing the situation as an urgent matter of common interest to countries across the Americas.

Nicaragua, however, is no longer a member of the organisation. The government announced its withdrawal in 2022 after years of criticism over its human rights record, with the departure formally taking effect in 2023.

At the time, Nicaragua's government accused the OAS of operating through what it called "deceitful mechanisms" and rejected the organisation's role in regional affairs.

The OAS was established in 1948 with US backing and is headquartered in Washington. Its stated purpose is to promote cooperation and dialogue among countries in the Americas.

Nicaragua is not the only government to have clashed with the organisation. Venezuela began withdrawing from the OAS in 2017 after the body criticised the government of then-President Nicolas Maduro over its handling of political unrest.

Nicaragua's latest constitutional overhaul was initially presented to lawmakers in July. The proposed changes included provisions aimed at preventing opposition figures labelled as "traitors" or involved in alleged coup attempts from taking part in elections.

The reforms also provide for political parties receiving foreign funding to be dissolved and allow the presidential term to be extended to seven years, with the possibility of renewal.

Ortega has previously indicated that his government does not intend to allow opposition forces to use elections to take power.

The veteran Sandinista leader first rose to prominence after helping overthrow the US-backed dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza in 1979. He later served as president from 1985 until 1990 before returning to power in 2007.

He is now the longest-serving national leader in the Western Hemisphere.

Ortega's government has faced mounting international criticism since widespread anti-government protests erupted in 2018. A subsequent crackdown resulted in the deaths of more than 300 people, according to rights groups.

Authorities also imprisoned political opponents and journalists, while hundreds of people were forced into exile. The government stripped many of those exiled of their Nicaraguan citizenship, with at least 200 eventually settling in the United States.

Washington's latest move signals an effort to increase regional pressure on Ortega and Murillo as Nicaragua's government pushes ahead with constitutional changes that critics say could further restrict political competition and democratic institutions.