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

It is important the EU has a strong voice in this. People who are supportive of the Ortega regime will seek to present it as if this is merely Americans and supporters of the United States who are criticising the revolutionary movement of Daniel Ortega. That can spread regionally in South America. People who have congratulated him include the President of Venezuela and people who seek to purport there is an attack on their regime from the United States of America. The voice of the European Union is very important. The United States has imposed sanctions on individuals associated with the Ortega regime. The European Union needs to do the same. We also need to provide some independent reportage from the European Union on why we say the elections were unfair. Just uttering that the elections were unfair does not convince all people. We need the evidence to show that was the case. The European Union has the resources to complete that.

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