Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Those of us who are not in Nicaragua depend on receiving independent reports about what happened. It is important we consider those reports. The American division of Human Rights Watch reported that the election results were a sham. The Organization of American States said the elections were neither fair, free, nor transparent. Other countries around the world that respect democratic institutions have regarded the elections as being unfair and, in effect, corrupt. To appreciate this, we have to look back at what has happened in Nicaragua since 2007, when President Ortega returned to power. As we all know, he was part of a revolutionary movement in the 1970s and 1980s that had much support in this country but something strange seems to have happened to him since he got back into power in 2007 and 2008. He has effectively turned Nicaragua into a police state. Last June, five opposition leaders were imprisoned for alleged breaches of public order. In July, others went into exile because of threats. What specifically does the Minister think the EU will do? Are we looking at further sanctions, as the Americans have implemented?

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