The Costa Rican government, through a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry and shared by President Carlos Alvarado, said it “does not recognize” the result of Sunday’s presidential elections in Nicaragua.
Daniel Ortega was expected to win reelection in a political process that saw most credible opposition candidates jailed.
The United States, through President Joe Biden, also called Sunday’s events “sham elections.”
Below is Costa Rica’s statement in full:
In the absence of conditions and guarantees required in democracy to accredit elections as transparent, credible, independent, free, fair and inclusive, Costa Rica does not recognize the election process held in Nicaragua on November 7, 2021.
Costa Rica reiterates that the actions carried out by the government of Nicaragua against important political and social actors, leaders from opposition groups of youth and media communication in that country, contravened the free exercise democracy, the guarantee of political pluralism and freedom of
expression.
Costa Rica reiterates its demand to the government of Nicaragua to proceed with the immediate release and
restitution of the full rights of all political prisoners.
Costa Rica calls on the international community to promote, among all parties in Nicaragua, spaces for dialogue and negotiation that allow the reestablishment of democracy for the benefit of the Nicaraguan people.
Costa Rica recalls the international legal obligations to which Nicaragua has sovereignly committed to as
Member State of the Central American Integration System, in coherence with the Tegucigalpa Protocol that verbatim states: “Consolidate democracy and strengthen its institutions on the basis of the existence of governments elected by universal, free and private suffrage, and unrestricted respect for Human Rights.”
