100 Nicaraguan Officials Face Sanctions from State Department

The U.S. State Department has taken action against 100 Nicaraguan officials for their involvement in suppressing the human rights of Nicaraguans under the leadership of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo.

In an effort to hold the Ortega-Murillo regime accountable for its ongoing assault on civil liberties, the State Department announced on Saturday that it is imposing visa restrictions on 100 municipal officials from Nicaragua. The officials in question have actively participated in the oppression of civil society organizations, the closure of civic spaces, and the unjust detention of government critics, including Bishop Rolando Álvarez.

Notably, Bishop Álvarez was among several priests who were arrested last year for speaking out against the government’s closure of Catholic radio stations and condemning its human rights violations. According to U.S. officials, Álvarez became a target of the Ortega regime due to his vocal criticisms.

In February, despite refusing to be exiled to the U.S., Álvarez was sentenced to 26 years in prison on charges of undermining the government, spreading false information, obstruction of functions, and disobedience. Additionally, he was stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship. State Secretary Antony Blinken has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Bishop Álvarez and all others who have been unjustly detained by the regime.

These sanctions come at a time when the Nicaraguan government continued its assault on the Catholic Church by confiscating a prestigious Jesuit-run university, baselessly accusing it of being a “center of terrorism.”

Prior to Ortega’s controversial fourth term victory in 2021, numerous opposition figures were imprisoned, with many considering the election to be a sham. Since then, these opponents have faced trials or have been convicted on vague charges comparable to treason.

Earlier this year, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on six Nicaraguan officials before Ortega’s inauguration in January. The department also froze the U.S. assets of the defense minister and leaders in the army, telecom, and mining sectors. Furthermore, the Biden administration has already instituted visa restrictions on 100 individuals within Nicaragua’s political and judicial systems, including members of the Nicaraguan National Assembly, prosecutors, judges, and their family members.