U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Nicaraguan Officials

U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Nicaraguan Officials

The United States government on Monday imposed additional visa restrictions on over 100 Nicaraguan officials and their family members following the death of Indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera in government custody. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measures, citing the circumstances of Rivera's death and the Nicaraguan government's broader suppression of dissent.

Rivera, 73, had been held since September 2023 and died on May 31, with the Nicaraguan government attributing his death to organ failure. His family and international observers, including a group of United Nations experts, raised concerns about his treatment and called for an independent investigation into his death. The U.N. experts noted a pattern of violations against Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples in Nicaragua, with 124 Indigenous leaders arbitrarily detained between 2018 and 2024.

These new restrictions bring the total number of Nicaraguan officials and their family members facing U.S. visa restrictions to over 2,350.

The U.S. administration has consistently criticized the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo for its human rights record, which includes the imprisonment, forced exile, and citizenship revocation of perceived dissidents.

Since 2018, approximately 5,600 non-governmental organizations have been forced to close in Nicaragua, further limiting oversight of government activities.