WASHINGTON — The United States government announced the expansion of visa restrictions to more than 100 municipal officials in Nicaragua, closely linked to the Daniel Ortega regime, according to the State Department in a statement issued this Friday.
This measure adds to the actions previously taken by Washington, which questions the legitimacy of Ortega’s re-election in 2021, also denouncing a series of mass arrests of political opponents. Many of these dissidents are currently detained, have been forced into exile or deprived of their citizenship.
In addition to these actions, the Ortega regime and his wife, Rosario Murillo, who also serves as vice president, have implemented restrictions on numerous non-governmental organizations and have recently intensified repressive measures against the Catholic Church in the country.
The latest repressive action was announced this Friday, with the cancellation of ten new associations and foundations, among which is the University of Health Sciences and Renewable Energy (UCSER); and the Nicaraguan Scout Association. The movable and immovable property of the organizations will be transferred to the State, indicated the La Gaceta publication.
Repressive campaign
The United States maintains that the Ortega-Murillo regime is carrying out a repressive campaign that seeks to silence civil society and unjustly detain those who exercise their fundamental rights.
In this sense, the US government maintains a firm position regarding the situation in Nicaragua, imposing sanctions on the Central American country after the repression of the protests that occurred in 2018 against the Ortega regime, who has been in power since 2007 and has been re-elected in elections questioned by the international community.
The official statement ensures that the United States will continue to work internationally to hold accountable those who represent a threat to democracy in Nicaragua.
Source: With information from AFP and Europa Press
