The United States will maintain diplomatic relations with Nicaragua, a foreign ministry official has said

Emily Mentrola, Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere’s Office, gave a telephone conference on Tuesday, January 11, in which she referred to Daniel Ortega’s command, recent restrictions and visas. Restrictions imposed by your country on Ortega officials. Mentrala said his country would maintain diplomatic relations with Nicaragua.

“We have an embassy in Managua, and we feel that the operation of the embassy is very important to the exchanges we have with the people of Nicaragua and the services that the embassy in Managua provides, so we are going to maintain them and we believe that our presence in Managua and all over the world is important,” Mentrala said.

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Later, a US State Department official added, “We have stated that the Ordega-Murillo government does not have a democratic mandate. Close democratic gaps, which is why we say elections are not fair or democratic.

When asked if the United States was concerned about re-establishing Nicaragua’s diplomatic relations with China, he said: The strengthening of relations with the Chinese People’s Republic further incites Nicaragua to dictatorship.

Barriers and DR-Cafta “We are studying options,” he said.

When asked by the official about the specific actions taken by the Joe Biden administration in this fourth consecutive Ordega in relation to Nicaragua, he noted that they continue to work with their international partners and as a testament to this. On January 10, both the US Treasury and the State Department joined forces with the European Union (EU) to impose sanctions and sanctions on Ortega officials.

“We are working with international partners to speak with one voice in support of the Nicaraguan people, and the human rights abuses and the authoritarian tendencies we see in Nicaragua. There is, ”he said.

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Then, part of the law strengthening Nicaragua’s compliance with the conditions for electoral reform, based on the possibility of suspending Nicaragua from the free trade agreement between Central America and the Dominican Republic (DR – Cafta). Or Renacer Law, the official said, reading the options available to them.

“We work with members of the US Congress, both parties believe that the people of Nicaragua have a great commitment to them, and they are committed to promoting change in Nicaragua and giving us a return to democracy. As far as the Renaissance Act, the tools in the Renaissance and the Cafta are concerned, we can apply that to the new tools that Congress has given us. We study and study the options we have, ”Mentrala said.

read more: Ortega calls it a “clean slate” and calls for the release of “political prisoners” in the United States, but remains silent about those in Nicaragua.

In this sense, he was asked why the United States once did not allow Ordega, and they have a number of diplomatic and economic tools, the official said: We have a variety of tools, they are in practice, we are going to continue to study the diplomatic and economic tools that promote change and the options available to support Nicaragua.

Commenting on the impact of sanctions on Ordega officials, Mentrala said it was “transparent and even stronger when coordinated with international partners”. Finally, on whether the United States will support a final dialogue promoted by the Ordega regime in the midst of the repression and imprisonment of political prisoners, Mentrala said the goal is to re-establish democracy and that the release of political prisoners is “extremely important.”

46 officers were admitted

This Monday, January 10, just before Ortega took office with President Sash for the fifth time, the US Treasury Department announced that it would add six officers to its list. Six people allowed:

• Rosa Adelina Barahona Castro (Minister of Defense and Member of the Board of Directors of the Social Welfare Army (IPSM)),
• Ramon Humberto Calderon Windell (former Inspector General of the Nicaraguan Army, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nicaraguan Petroleum (Petronic)) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ENIMINAS);
• Selena Delcado Castellon (Enatrel’s Board Member),
• Nahima Thias Flores (daughter of Francisco Diaz, director of the police; and director of Telcor),
• Bayardo de Jesús Pulido Ortiz (Brigadier General of the Nicaraguan Army and a member of the IPSM Board of Directors),
• Bayardo Ramón Rodríguez Ruiz (Chairman of the General Service of the Nicaraguan Army and a member of the IPSM Board of Directors).

While the first approver since 2017 was the former head of the CSE, Roberto Rivas has allowed 46 officers to date, including Rosario Murillo, the appointed vice president and wife of Ortega. In the same way, the Biden administration began to restrict visas for officials and those close to the regime from January 20, 2021, with 285 officers already canceling entry into the country.