On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden prohibited the entry of Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, along with many ministers and officials from the country into the United States. This announcement resembled an indictment due to their "violations" of democracy. Biden stated that following Ortega's disputed victory for a new presidential term in the November 7 elections, it was "the duty of the United States to act" against the repression and violations practiced by Ortega's government and its supporters.
He added, "I have decided that it is in the interest of the United States to restrict and suspend the entry of members of the government of Nicaragua led by President Daniel Ortega, including his wife and Vice President Rosario, into the United States," as well as all individuals associated with actions that "undermine democratic institutions" in that country.
The lengthy list of unwelcome individuals includes elected officials, their office members, mayors and their deputies accused of "violating human rights to punish peaceful protesters," along with a host of senior officials in security agencies, governmental bodies, prison systems, the judiciary, and the Ministry of the Interior.
Additionally, the decision encompasses anyone who contributed to the actions condemned by Washington, and it also bans the wives and children of those subjected to sanctions from entering the United States.
U.S. Sanctions
On Monday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced financial sanctions against Nicaragua's federal prosecutor's office and nine senior officials "in response to the sham elections orchestrated by President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo." The U.S. has also threatened to impose sanctions since the November 7 elections, from which the opposition was barred after the imprisonment of the president's most prominent opponents. Biden immediately described the elections as a "farce," which, as expected, resulted in Daniel Ortega's re-election for a fourth term.
