On September 10, 2026, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted an event “The Nicaraguan Situation: Political Evolution and the Role of the Organization of American States.” The discussion, moderated by Manuel Orozco, director of Migration, Remittances, and Development Program, addressed the deepening crisis in Nicaragua and assessed realistic avenues for multilateral action and coordinated regional pressure ahead of an upcoming Organization of American States (OAS) ministerial meeting.
Dialogue Board Member and former Assistant Secretary of State Brian A. Nichols opened the session, emphasizing that the Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo regime holds no democratic mandate following the fraudulent 2021 elections and its systemic dismantling of the constitution, civil society, and independent media. Nichols highlighted that while Nicaragua unilaterally withdrew from the OAS, the commitments of the Inter-American Democratic Charter remain binding on the hemisphere. He called on regional governments and the United States to prioritize the crisis, warn against dynastic succession, and pursue coordinated measures such as official travel bans, economic and trade sanctions, and removing regime officials from regional bodies like the Central American Integration System (SICA).
OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin delivered remarks underscoring that hemispheric silence is untenable when fundamental democratic principles are breached. While acknowledging that the OAS cannot force physical intervention or prevent Nicaragua’s formal withdrawal, Ramdin stressed that Nicaragua remains an indelible part of the hemisphere’s geography, directly impacting regional security, migration, and the economy. To overcome institutional constraints, Ramdin advocated for “collective unilateralism”—a strategy where member states independently but simultaneously enact aligned measures such as financial isolation, targeted sanctions, and diplomatic pressure, which the Dialogue has recommended in a recent piece. He also reflected on the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, arguing for institutional reforms that address ongoing democratic governance failures rather than merely constitutional ruptures.
Miriam Kornblith, senior director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), highlighted citizen agency and the need for bottom-up democratic solidarity. Drawing parallels to Venezuela, Kornblith stressed that sustainable transitions require empowering local democratic actors: labor unions, the private sector, the church, and over 5,000 banned civil society organizations. She urged the OAS and Latin American civil society to break the cycle of regional indifference, create cross-border coalitions of democratic solidarity, and provide tangible backing to those resisting authoritarian rule on the ground.
Arnoldo André Tinoco, permanent representative of Costa Rica to the OAS and former Costa Rican minister of foreign affairs, outlined the cross-border impact of the crisis. With roughly 20 percent of Costa Rica’s population comprising Nicaraguan migrants and refugees, Tinoco underscored the urgent need to keep Nicaragua on the global agenda. He raised security and sovereignty concerns, including Russia’s military presence and arms transfers to Nicaragua, as well as concessions granted to Chinese mining firms. Tinoco emphasized that the Ortega-Murillo regime remains legally bound by the American Convention on Human Rights and called for using multilateral spaces, such as CELAC, the Ibero-American General Secretariat, and the UN General Assembly to build continuous, coordinated pressure.
Engaging audience questions on financial leverage, regional accountability, and geopolitical double standards, panelists emphasized the need to translate rhetoric into enforceable strategy. Nichols urged seizing the current favorable regional alignment to prioritize Nicaragua on global agendas, while Kornblith stressed that mobilizing broader Latin American civil society is vital to holding reluctant governments accountable and backing a unified Nicaraguan opposition. Tinoco added that diplomatic pressure must extend beyond the OAS into forums like the UN, CELAC, and the Ibero-American summits.
Looking forward, the panelists agreed that the upcoming OAS foreign ministerial meeting serves as a critical test of hemispheric resolve and represents a key diplomatic window. Moving past institutional stalemates will require sustained “collective unilateralism,” as advocated by Secretary General Ramdin: coordinating targeted sanctions to cut the regime’s financial lifelines, confronting democratic erosion and authoritarian encroachments, fostering active regional solidarity to support a Nicaraguan-owned transition toward democratic renewal.
WATCH THE EVENT RECORDING HERE:
