Senior Bureau Official for Western Hemisphere Affairs Michael Kozak delivered remarks today before a Special Meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) Permanent Council to address the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship’s threat to the peace and security of our hemisphere.

The United States addressed the Permanent Council on the need for urgent action, presenting a draft resolution co-sponsored by Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, and Paraguay to convene a Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs to determine a collective response. The United States cannot continue to act alone against the threat the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship poses to the stability of our region.

Now is the time for OAS to demonstrate its value in bringing together the region to address the desecration of democratic principles and support the Nicaraguan people’s right to a future free from tyranny.