Nicaragua Leaves 'Infamous' OAS, Slamming It as 'US Diabolical Instrument'

In mid-November 2021, the Nicaraguan government denounced the Organisation of American States (OAS) Secretariat's charter and suspended the nation's membership. The country's foreign minister cited the OAS' intervention in the country's domestic affairs as one of the reasons for the decision.

Nicaragua has decided to withdraw from all mechanisms related to the Organisation of American States and close its office in the country's capital, Managua, the Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday.

According to the Latin American country's Foreign Minister Denis Moncada, the withdrawal would have immediate effect along with the revocation of its officials' credentials in Washington, claiming the "infamous organisation" would no longer have offices in Nicaragua.

Moncada stressed that the nation had ratified its "invariable decision" to leave the organisation.

"Their local branch has been closed", he said.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega was re-elected for a fourth term in November's elections, which the General Assembly of the OAS, along with the US and the EU, decided to condemn following allegations of persecution of political opponents, claiming they were "not free, fair, or transparent, and lacked democratic legitimacy".

Moncada stated in November that the Central American country would leave the OAS, citing the organisation's "repeated acts of meddling" in Nicaragua. Moncada accused the OAS of being a "diabolical instrument" of US "intervention and domination".

Originally, the withdrawal process was scheduled to take place over two years, in accordance with protocol, so Nicaragua could complete any outstanding commitments in the organisation.

Earlier this week, the OAS decided to end Russia's position as a permanent observer by a vote of 25 to 0. Nicaragua was absent during the vote. Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the US, said after the vote that he had been refused the opportunity to speak before or after the move.