Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she is taking steps to support the Nicaraguan Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Arturo McFields, in response to his address to the OAS and comments on the leadership of his country.

The UK Government has publicly commended the courage of Arturo McFields, Nicaragua's former Ambassador to the Organization of American States, for bravely denouncing the Ortega-Murillo regime's dictatorship. The UK has been vocal in condemning the Nicaraguan Government's crackdown on fundamental rights and freedoms since the events of 2018 and last year's undemocratic elections. We have raised our concerns on the deteriorating political and human rights situation with Nicaraguan government representatives in London, in Managua, at multilateral fora and publicly through a series of statements. The UK continues to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Nicaragua, including opposition leaders and for the full restoration of all their civil and political rights. The UK will continue to work closely with our partners to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Nicaragua.