Municipal elections are scheduled in Nicaragua this Sunday Nov 6th, but they are taking place in a context which Urnas Abiertas summarizes as “political terror” , and where all gatherings are prohibited except for Sandinista supporters. This is the translation of a joint statement made by opposition groups both within Nicaragua and in exile about these elections, where they call for the population to stay home in rejection of the elections.
LET US TAKE UP THE CRY OF APRIL AND REJECT THE ELECTORAL CIRCUS OF ORTEGA MURILLO, STAYING HOME
As democratic opposition organizations in Nicaragua and in exile, we address the people of Nicaragua and the international community, to make evident that the municipal elections this coming November 6 will not represent the will of the Nicaraguan people, given that they will be celebrated within a flawed process characterized by the ongoing violation of constitutional rights, persecution and harassment of the citizenry in strict violation of article 6 of the Interamerican Democratic Charter, where it stipulates that “the participation of the citizenry in decisions related to their own development is a right and responsibility.”
The Electoral Farse of November 7, 2021 did not just demonstrate the lack of independence of all the branches of the State, but made way for their absolute and tyrannical use as repressive instruments at the service of the Ortega-Murillo family. After having annihilated any vestige of political party competition, the FSLN proceeded to exacerbate its repressive strategy against civil society, the Catholic Church, independent communications media and the more than 2,300 non-governmental organizations terminated.
In the face of the context of the elections of local governments to be carried out on November 6, the dictatorship decided de facto and by coercive action of the police and paramilitaries to take over the remaining municipal governments under the management of the opposition before those elections. The Ortega-Murillo family through a systematic practice of electoral fraud that goes back to 2008, will thus culminate this 2022 in an absolute dictatorial and single party regime. These are not elections for choosing but to designate people aligned with the regime and make the international community believe that democracy is practiced in the country, when the country continues to be abducted by an illegitimate regime, accused of crimes against humanity.
These constant violations have as one of its results the massive, forced displacement that the country is experiencing, showing that the illegitimate regime has failed in the social contract, turning itself into the principal threat to its citizens. And in these conditions, we all know that this farse will only worsen the economic, social and political crisis that all of us Nicaraguan are experiencing.
This November 6th let us take up again the cry of April and the historical aspirations of freedom and democracy, emptying the streets with the same courage and determination with which we filled them in 2018. The call is to fulfill our patriotic duty for the freedom of our political prisoners and for the safe return of all exiles. Let us stay home as a sign of our rejection of the dictatorship.
For the more than 340 murdered by the dictatorship; for the more than 200 political prisoners who suffer in jails; for our priests, laity and missionaries who are in jail or in exile; and for the more than 400,000 Nicaraguans who have seen themselves forced to abandon our country…Stay home!
We encourage Nicaraguans who find themselves forcibly displaced around the world and all people in solidarity with the struggle of the Nicaraguan people to take to the streets this November 6th to demand the freedom of the political prisoners who are suffering in the jails of the dictatorship and to demand truly authentic, democratic, fair and transparent municipal elections.
Nicaragua will become a Republic again!
Signing organizations:
