On Monday, the United States held president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, and his vice president and wife, Rosario Murillo, responsible for the violence that left 350 people dead since the start of anti-government protests in April.
In an official note, the White House said that
Ortega and Murillo are ultimately responsible for vigilante groups favorable to the government that have brutalized their own people.”
The protests in Nicaragua began on April 18th against a social security reform, but resulted in massive protests that were answered with strong repression and led to requests for Ortega’s resignation.
The Nicaraguan Catholic Church tried in vain to mediate the dialogue between government and opposition.
In the document released on Monday, the White House reviewed the measures adopted in this regard, especially the sanction of three Nicaraguan officials, a step seen as
the beginning, not the end, of potential sanctions.”
In addition, Washington revoked or restricted visas to Nicaraguan officials who have had any connection with repression of protests or acts of violence.
According to the note, the White House processed the return of cars that had been donated to the National Police of Nicaragua and that would have been used in the repression, and also blocked new donations of equipment to the security forces.
Last Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence had already demanded Ortega to end the violence in Nicaragua, which he believes is sponsored by the State. In a message posted on the Twitter network, Pence also called for early presidential elections, originally scheduled for 2021 in Nicaragua.
Later, during a ceremony on religious freedom held in the State Department, Pence said that in Nicaragua the government is virtually at war with the Catholic Church and people armed with machetes have attacked temples and church property.
However, Ortega offered an interview to the US TV channel FoxNews during the week in which he ruled out resigning the presidency. According to Ortega,
early elections would create instability, insecurity and make things worse.”
In that interview, Ortega also sought to reduce the tone of confrontation with the Catholic Church, and denied that armed men associated with the government had shot dead two young people who took refuge from repression in a church.
Last week, the House of Representatives of the US Congress passed a resolution asking the government to adopt more sanctions against Nicaraguan officials.
Those sanctions, such as those adopted on July 5th against three officials, are supported by the so-called “Magnitsky law”, approved by the US Congress to sanction Russian officials for the death of Sergei Magnitsky in 2009.
That law, however, came to be used by the government to sanction foreign officials when it believes there have been abuses or violations of human rights.