Overview

• Nicaragua formally withdrew from the Organization of American States (OAS), a move the U.S. State Department has labeled as 'another step away from democracy'.
• Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, initiated the two-year withdrawal process in November 2021, following criticism from the OAS over rights violations.
• The OAS has pledged to continue monitoring Nicaragua's democracy and human rights record, despite the country's departure from the group.
• Ortega's administration has been accused of suppressing critical voices, particularly following street protests in 2018 that resulted in the deaths of some 355 people.
• The last country to leave the OAS was Venezuela in 2019.