U.S. cancels visas of 100 Nicaraguan officials for "threatening democracy"

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken announced, in a State Department press statement on August 19, that the U.S. government is restricting visas to 100 Nicaraguan municipal officials in the face of "the Ortega-Murillo regime’s relentless attacks on civil liberties." 

Blinken said that the U.S. government decided to restrict the visas of 100 officials who "participated in efforts to repress civil society organizations, close civic spaces like that of the Universidad Centroamericana, and unjustly detain courageous individuals who support a free civil society, including Bishop Rolando Álvarez."

“We call on the regime to unconditionally and immediately release Bishop Álvarez and all those unjustly detained,” Blinken stated on his X account (formerly Twitter)

"We will continue to work with the international community to promote accountability for those who threaten democracy in Nicaragua, and we remain committed to promoting the fundamental freedoms of the Nicaraguan people and respect for their human rights," the statement concluded.

The head of U.S. diplomacy indicated that this action "was taken pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 10309, which suspends entry into the United States as immigrants and nonimmigrants of persons responsible for policies or actions that threaten democracy in Nicaragua."

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This week the Daniel Ortega-Rosario Murillo regime confiscated the Central American University (UCA) through a judicial notice in which it accuses –without evidence– the Jesuit university of having functioned as a "center of terrorism" during 2018.

As of this month, Bishop Rolando Álvarez, mentioned in the State Department statement, has served one year in prison of his 26-year prison sentence. 

Brian Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs stated on his X account that the visa restriction affects "Nicaraguan officials who deny the people of Nicaragua democratic governance, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms."

"We continue to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Bishop Alvarez in Nicaragua and an end to the systematic repression," said Nichols.

This article was originally published in Spanish in Confidencial and translated by our staff.