“The regime stripped Nicaraguans of their right to vote in truly free and fair elections.”

The Canadian government considered the November 7 elections in Nicaragua to be “rigged” by “clinging to power” and indicated that it would continue to use all diplomatic tools to hold the “repressive regime and its facilitators accountable.”

Canada’s position was conveyed by Melanie Jolly, Canadian Foreign Minister, who noted that the November 7 elections did not reflect the will of the Nicaraguan people.

“The regime has robbed Nicaraguans of their right to vote in truly free and fair elections by manipulating the electoral process to cling to power, notably by arbitrarily arresting and detaining political opponents, suppressing independent media, and forcing civilians to flee.” . Minister indicated.

Read also: Norway asserts that Nicaragua’s elections ‘cannot be considered fair or democratic’

Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, according to the Supreme Electoral Council, will remain in power for another five years, as they won the elections with more than 75 percent of the vote, and despite their assertion that participation exceeded 65 percent, the Ornas Open Observatory sees that the abstention rate The country’s rating can reach about 81.5%.

“We reiterate our call on the Daniel Ortega regime to comply with its international obligations, release all political prisoners, end suppression of independent media, allow the return of international human rights monitors, and establish a meaningful national dialogue,” Jolie said.

Diplomatic tools

Canada is one of the countries that has internationally condemned the repression and human rights violations in Nicaragua and implemented sanctions. The Minister commented that they will continue to use these diplomatic tools to hold the regime and its facilitators accountable.

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“The Government of Canada has previously implemented selective sanctions under the Special Economic Measures Act in response to the ongoing, serious and systematic violations of human rights in Nicaragua. “We will continue to use all our diplomatic tools to hold this repressive regime and its elements to account,” Jolie said.

Read also: US and Canada sanctions Sonia Castro, Gustavo Porras, Orlando Castillo and Oscar Mujica

The Government of Canada noted: “We support the people of Nicaragua in their aspirations to a more peaceful, just and democratic future that includes fundamental respect for human rights and freedom of the press. We will work with democracies in the region and around the world, including at the OAS General Assembly from November 10-12/ November to urge the Ortega regime to change course and seek a peaceful and democratic solution to the current crisis.”

Last Friday, Jolie stated on her Twitter account that the electoral process taking place in Nicaragua was “undermined” by the regime of Daniel Ortega, after the “repression of political opponents, independent media and civil society”.

Canada is one of the countries leading the international demands for justice and freedom for political prisoners in Nicaragua. It also imposed individual sanctions on officials and Daniel Ortega’s relatives, for directing repression and human rights abuses against protesters and opponents who came out to protest in 2018.

On July 15, Canada imposed sanctions on 15 high-ranking officials in Ortega’s government, as well as on his daughter, Camila Ortega Murillo.

Among the officials subject to sanction are: Chiefs of Police Ramon Antonio Avellan, Luis Alberto Pérez Olivas, Justo Pastor Urbina, Juan Antonio Valle Valle and Fidel de Jesus Dominguez Alvarez; as well as the Prosecutor of the Republic, Anna Julia Guido; SEC judge, Lumberto Ignacio Campbell; Minister of Finance, Ivan Adolfo Acosta Montalvan; José Jorge Mujica Mejia (close to the presidential couple); Supreme Court Justice of Justice, Marvin Ramiro Aguilar Garcia; Sandinista MPs Wálmaro Antonio Gutiérrez Mercado and Edwin Ramón Castro Rivera; President of the Central Bank of Nicaragua, Leonardo Ovidio Reyes Ramirez; Julio Modesto Rodríguez Balladares, Brigadier General and Director of the Military Institute of Social Welfare of the Nicaraguan Army.

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In June 2019, Canada sanctioned its first lady and co-ruler, Rosario Murillo; Ortega and Murillo’s son, Lauriano Ortega; Managua Municipal Secretary, Fidel Moreno; presidential advisor Nestor Moncada Lau; Chief of Police and Ortega’s son-in-law, Francisco Diaz; President of the National Assembly, Gustavo Porras; Health Minister Sonia Castro; Director of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Oscar Salvador Mojica; Telcor Director, Orlando Castillo. Sanctioned persons are barred from any transaction in Canada.

Meanwhile, Canada has been one of the targets of verbal attacks by the First Lady and Vice President, Rosario Murillo, who has called Canada’s rulers “human misery” and “immoral”, among other adjectives, using an excuse. The discovery of hundreds of unknown graves in the former boarding schools of indigenous children in that country.

Sacha Woodward

"Wannabe writer. Lifelong problem solver. Gamer. Incurable web guru. Professional music lover."

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