Sanctioning the Murillo-Ortega Dictatorship’s Agents Enforcing Its Repression of the Nicaraguan People

The Trump Administration is acting once again to hold Nicaraguan dictators Rosario María Murillo Zambrana and Daniel Ortega Saavedra and their enablers to account.  The United States is imposing sanctions on five senior Nicaraguan officials who incited regional instability through the dictatorship’s consolidation of power and ongoing abuses against the Nicaraguan people.  

Since 2018, the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship has violently repressed peaceful protests, unjustly detained, tortured, and killed political opponents. This illegitimate family dynasty has also persecuted Catholic clergy and has opted to silence and banish independent media and civil society organizations.  The dictatorship rewrote Nicaragua’s constitution to ensure government institutions punish political opponents and allow the arbitrary monitoring and control of telecommunications systems.  The dictatorship has committed systemic labor abuses and uses security structures to monitor and silence anyone perceived to threaten their grip on power.  The individuals sanctioned today lead government agencies responsible for these acts of repression. 

This administration will continue to use all available diplomatic and economic tools to address those who threaten U.S. national security in our hemisphere.  We reiterate our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Nicaragua. 

Today’s action is being taken pursuant to the authorities under Executive Order (E.O.) 13851, as amended by E.O 14088.  For more information on today’s action, please see the Department of the Treasury’s press release.