Marco Rubio and Bob Menendez Take Aim at Daniel Ortega

Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio teamed up with U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., to introduce a resolution on Thursday urging the Obama administration to back democracy in Nicaragua, condemning electoral violence in that Central American nation and calling for investigation from the Organization of American States on Daniel Ortegas electoral win.

For years, Daniel Ortega and his cronies have eroded Nicaraguas democratic institutions, Rubio said in a statement issued Thursday.Their recent efforts have accelerated this democratic decline and reached a tipping point that demands a strong reaction from the United States and the mobilization of our allies in defense of the Nicaraguan peoples human rights. I urge the administration to speak out and act with urgency against the assault on democracy and constitutional order taking place in Nicaragua.

Daniel Ortegas unconstitutional grab of the Nicaraguan presidency is a serious deterioration of democratic values in the country and poses a serious threat to the Nicaraguan people and the region, said Menendez. It is time for the United States and the international community to pay attention to what is occurring in Nicaragua and take action to ensure that the democratic values in the region arent further eroded.