The U.S. State Department banned another 100 Nicaraguans from entering their country for their involvement in “the Ortega-Murillo government's relentless attacks on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Nicaraguans.”
“We are taking action to impose visa restrictions on more than 100 Nicaraguan municipal officials for their role in the Ortega-Murillo government, which continues a campaign of repression that silences civil society and unjustly detains those brave enough to exercise their basic freedoms.” , the State Department said this Friday.
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Joe Biden's administration also said it will continue to work with the international community to promote accountability for those who threaten democracy in Nicaragua. “We are committed to supporting the people of Nicaragua and guaranteeing that their human rights are protected,” he says.
The new list joins more than 1,000 Nicaraguan officials barred from entering the United States. The previous restriction was announced in September 2023 for another group of 100 people.
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The State Department's action was taken “pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 10309, which suspends the entry into the United States, as immigrants and nonimmigrants, of persons responsible for policies or activities that threaten democracy in Nicaragua.”
Nicaragua lives under the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo, who do not allow free and fair elections, freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Those who dare to criticize the regime are persecuted, imprisoned, and accused of treason.
