Nicaragua says it will withdraw from Central American Parliament

Nicaragua’s government has announced it will withdraw from the Central American Parliament, a key regional body, as President Daniel Ortega and his co-president and wife, Rosario Murillo, consolidate power. The Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that it would exit the six-country parliament, established to help promote human rights and democracy in Central America. The announcement comes shortly after Friday’s passage of a resolution at the Organization of American States (OAS), calling on Nicaragua to restore civil rights and release political prisoners. The Nicaraguan government, however, said Saturday’s action was “in the full exercise of its sovereignty”.