Special Declaration on the situation in the Republic of Nicaragua

The Governments of the Argentine Republic, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Republic of Chile, the Republic of Colombia, the Republic of Costa Rica, the Republic of Ecuador, the Republic of Guatemala, the Republic of Honduras, Mexico, the Republic of Panama, the Republic of Paraguay, the Republic of Peru and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, in view of the situation in the Republic of Nicaragua:

1. Express their concern at the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms and their firmest condemnation of the serious and repeated acts of violence that have been taking place in Nicaragua and that have so far resulted in the unfortunate loss of more than 300 human lives and hundreds of wounded; the repression and violence against students and members of civil society, as well as the delay in providing urgent medical assistance to the wounded.
2. They demand the immediate cessation of acts of violence, intimidation and threats directed at Nicaraguan society; and the dismantling of paramilitary groups.
3. They urge the reactivation of the national dialogue in Nicaragua, within a climate of respect for fundamental freedoms, involving all parties in order to generate peaceful and sustainable solutions to the situation in Nicaragua and the strengthening of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in that country;
4. They support the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua to continue its work for the search and promotion of solutions to the conflict and respect for the human rights of Nicaraguans;
5. They thank the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for its visits to Nicaragua to investigate the events and urge the Nicaraguan government to comply with the 15 recommendations made and to collaborate with the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI);
6. They call on the Government of Nicaragua and other social actors to demonstrate their commitment and participate constructively in peaceful negotiations with concrete results that address the country's fundamental challenges in a peaceful manner, including the strengthening of democratic institutions, the implementation of the recommendations of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission, and the holding of free, fair, and timely elections in an environment free from fear, intimidation, threats, or violence.