Nicaragua says it will withdraw from Central American Parliament

What the report says

Nicaragua’s government said it will withdraw immediately from the Central American Parliament, a regional body made up of six countries and created to support democracy and human rights in the region. The Foreign Ministry announced the move on Saturday, with the government describing it as an exercise of sovereignty. The decision comes as President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, continue to tighten control at home.

According to Al Jazeera, the withdrawal follows a recent Organization of American States resolution urging Nicaragua to restore civil rights and free political prisoners. It also continues a pattern of departures from international institutions: Nicaragua left the OAS in 2023 and the UN Human Rights Council in 2025. The government has repeatedly argued that such groups are used for foreign interference, while critics say the country’s human rights situation has sharply worsened under Ortega.

The article notes longstanding accusations that the Ortega-Murillo government has used state power against opponents through detention, exile and other abuses. A UN report released in September said the government was responsible for at least eight deaths in custody since 2018. Human rights organizations and the United States have also criticized the government, while Human Rights Watch has separately warned Washington against deporting Nicaraguan nationals who could face danger if returned. The move underscores Nicaragua’s increasing isolation in regional and global forums.