By Zoila Palma: The United States is urging countries across the Western Hemisphere to isolate Nicaragua after President Daniel Ortega vowed that his government would no longer hold elections.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Ortega’s declaration exposes the “true authoritarian nature” of his government and warned that Nicaragua cannot expect “business as usual” with other nations while rejecting democratic rule.
Rubio said Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, have “abandoned even the pretense of popular consent.”
In a separate statement, the U.S. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs called on regional partners to work together to ensure that Nicaraguans can eventually choose a future free from what it described as tyranny.
Ortega made the pledge during a speech on Sunday, saying elections would no longer be held because they could allow U.S.-backed movements to take power.
“There won’t be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power,” Ortega said, as he defended his government’s continued grip on power.
Ortega, 80, has been in power continuously since 2007, while constitutional reforms adopted last year established his wife as co-president and extended the presidential term to six years.
The post International News: US urges isolation of Nicaragua after Ortega vows to end elections appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: The United States is urging countries across the Western Hemisphere to isolate Nicaragua after President Daniel Ortega vowed that his government would no longer hold elections. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Ortega’s declaration exposes the “true authoritarian nature” of his government and warned that Nicaragua cannot expect “business as usual”
The post International News: US urges isolation of Nicaragua after Ortega vows to end elections appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
