Nicaragua OAS Ambassador Arturo McFields Comments on His Country's Dictatorship After Resignation
Nicaragua's Organization of American States (OAS) ambassador, Arturo McFields, on Wednesday commented on the dictatorship evident in his country while announcing his resignation.
McFields announced that he stepped down from his office, on a video posted by the OAS on their Twitter account, according to Al Jazeera.
Remarks by the Ambassador of #Nicaragua Arturo McFields Yescas to the Permanent Council of the #OAS pic.twitter.com/TtJv72oqSd
— OAS (@OAS_official) March 23, 2022
The ambassador also slammed President Daniel Ortega's government, claiming that the administration repressed the political opposition, cracked down the freedom of speech in the country and that it committed human rights abuses, per Reuters.
The ambassador further noted that nongovernmental organizations in Nicaragua, as well as the media, are being curtailed by the government. He also noted that elections in his country were "not credible." McFields went on to comment on the dictatorship that occurs in his country.
"Denouncing the dictatorship of my country is not easy... But to continue remaining silent and defending the indefensible, is impossible," McFields noted, per Al Jazeera. In the video, the ambassador also claimed that he is speaking on behalf of the political prisoners and over 300 individuals who died in Nicaragua since the protests against Ortega broke out in 2018.
McFields also shared that he tried to get at least 20 elderly political prisoners out of jail, but claimed that nobody speaks and nobody listens in the government.
"I want to tell you that people inside and outside are tired, tired of the dictatorship and its actions, and more and more people are going to say 'enough,'" McFields underscored.
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Nicaragua's OAS Ambassador Lauded After Comments on Government
The ambassador was lauded by several officials after he gave his comments in the video.
We commend Ambassador Arturo McFields for his courage in resigning his position as #Nicaragua’s ambassador to @OAS_official in a speech denouncing the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship’s human rights record, stating he could no longer support the regime. pic.twitter.com/UjVi438JCg
— Ambassador Frank O. Mora (@USAmbOAS) March 23, 2022
U.S. interim representative to the OAS, Bradley Freden, commended McFields' courage for his resignation and speaking up about the dictatorship present in Nicaragua's regime. Meanwhile, OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro also hopped in to express his thoughts about what McField has done.
Valoramos el coraje del Embajador de #Nicaragua Arturo McFields Yescas y su compromiso con los valores de a @OEA_oficial. Ésta es la posición éticamente correcta. https://t.co/H5vb2WuDQ2
— Luis Almagro (@Almagro_OEA2015) March 23, 2022
"We appreciate the courage of #Nicaragua Ambassador Arturo McFields Yescas and his commitment to the values of a @OEA_oficial," Almagro highlighted. The secretary-general also pointed out that what the ambassador did was "ethically correct."
Nicaragua Presidential Hopeful Cristiana Chamorro Sentenced
McField's resignation came days after another Nicaraguan presidential hopeful, Cristiana Chamorro, was slammed with an eight-year sentence, BBC reported.
Chamorro was found guilty of money laundering. She was also one of the presidential hopefuls in Nicaragua detained ahead of the poll.
Chamorro was also accused of "abusive management [and] ideological falsehood" during her time in a media foundation she led until early 2021. The accusation was reportedly made after Chamorro announced that she would run for Nicaragua's president, per BBC.
Chamorro's brother, Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, also received a nine-year sentence after he was convicted of various financial crimes.
The two were known to be the children of former President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, a candidate who defeated Daniel Ortega during the 1990 Nicaragua elections, Al Jazeera reported.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: Nicaraguan Police Raid Home of Opposition Presidential Hopeful - From Al Jazeera English
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