The Nicaraguan ambassador to the OAS denounces Ortega's "dictatorship"

Should Nicaragua be expelled from the OAS?

2:15

(CNN Spanish) - 

The Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Arturo McFields, distanced himself from his government and denounced this Wednesday before the Permanent Council of the organization that the government of Daniel Ortega is a "dictatorship" and that he cannot "continue to remain silent and defend the indefensible".

"I have to speak, even if I am afraid, I have to speak, even if my future and that of my family are uncertain, I have to speak because if I don't, the stones themselves will speak for me," he added.

The Nicaraguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated in a statement that Arturo McFields does not represent the government "so none of his statements is valid" and added that his representative before the OAS is Ambassador Francisco Campbell.

Until Wednesday afternoon, McFields appeared on the OAS website as the representative of Nicaragua, while Campbell appears as ambassador plenipotentiary to the United States.

CNN is trying to contact McFields for more details about his situation.

At the OAS meeting, in addition to indicating that he was resigning from his position, McFields said that he was speaking on behalf of the political prisoners and the people who have lost their lives since 2018 by the Ortega regime.

He indicated that in a virtual meeting he held with the Foreign Ministry of his country and presidential advisers, he suggested that "at least 20 elderly political prisoners and 20 other common criminals whose health deserves special consideration" be released, but according to him Nobody paid any attention to him and the answer he received was “we are not even going to take note of that comment because you could lose your job and right, the more you give him, the more he wants”.

• OAS Permanent Council demands immediate release of opponents detained in Nicaragua

"In the government nobody listens and nobody speaks. I tried several times, for several months, but all the doors were closed to me," added the ambassador.

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McFields also denounced that since 2018 his country is the only one in Central America where there are no printed newspapers, no posts on social media, no independent political parties "or credible elections."

He assures that private universities have been confiscated, Catholic and environmental non-governmental organizations have been cancelled, among other things.

McFields concluded by saying "that people inside and outside are tired, tired of the dictatorship and its actions, and more and more people are going to say enough."

After the speech, the reactions did not wait.

• Nicaragua announces its “definitive withdrawal” from the OAS

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro said on his Twitter account: “We value the courage of #Nicaragua Ambassador Arturo McFields Yescas and his commitment to the values ​​of the @OEA_oficial.

This is the ethically correct position."

For his part, Bradley Freden, interim permanent representative of the United States to the OAS, said on his Twitter account: "We congratulate Ambassador Arturo McFields for his courage in resigning from his position as ambassador of #Nicaragua in @OEA_oficial in a speech denouncing the human rights record of the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship, stating that he could no longer support the regime.”

The award-winning writer and opposition activist Giaconda Belli also reacted on her Twitter account saying: "It's good to know that there are still people with quality and ethics in Nicaragua to denounce what is happening in that government from within. Arturo McFields today gave an example of courage and patriotism. His words upon resigning from being the only ambassador to the OAS are clear and courageous."

Contributed to this report Mario Medrano

OAS