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Nicaragua's ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) on Wednesday condemned the government of President Daniel Ortega, denouncing the repression of the political opposition and human rights abuses.
Ambassador Arturo McFields said in a video address posted on Twitter by the OAS that he was speaking up on behalf of scores of political prisoners and people killed in the country since protests broke out against Ortega in 2018.
"Denouncing the dictatorship of my country is not easy," he said. "But to continue remaining silent and defending the indefensible, is impossible."
The government, which has long argued that opponents of Ortega have been attempting to oust him with foreign support, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
McFields' intervention came the same week that a judge sentenced former presidential candidate Cristiana Chamorro to eight years detention for financial crimes, in a case the opposition said was politically motivated.
McFields took on his role as OAS ambassador in November.
(Reporting by Ismael Lopez; editing by Jonathan Oatis)