U.S. blasts Nicaragua over elections

U.S. officials sternly criticized the Nicaraguan government of voter fraud during local elections this month. "The election was not transparent, and there were many problems," said U.S. Ambassador Robert Callahan who echoed claims made by Nicaraguan opposition candidates. On Thursday, the U.S. representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) called for an outside audit of the electoral results and implied that President Daniel Ortega rigged the election.

Nicaragua’s ambassador to the foreign body replied by accusing the U.S. and OAS of interfering in his country’s affairs:

"It is unheard of that the (OAS) secretary-general would usurp the state's authority, when neither the government nor the people of Nicaragua have given him that authority," (Nicaraguan OAS ambassador Denis Moncada) said.

He went on to say that Insulza had joined the U.S. campaign to "delegitimize Nicaragua's municipal elections and destabilize President Ortega's government."

He asked the council to call on the U.S. government to "cease its meddling in Nicaraguan affairs."

Tensions over the electoral results have resulted in “low-scale violence” all over Nicaragua including attacks on candidates. One report accused government supporters who “snuffed out opposition protests earlier this week, leaving dozens injured.”

Image- Guardian UK (“A masked supporter of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front party, FSLN, holds a homemade mortar during a protest in Managua. Photograph: Esteban Felix/AP”)
Sources- The Latin Americanist, Guardian UK, AP, washingtonpost.com, Bloomberg