The European Union imposed sanctions on Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s wife Rosario Murillo, one of his sons and six other officials on Monday.
These measures have expanded the previous sanctions list, and now a total of 14 people are detained “responsible for Nicaragua’s serious human rights violations and/or their actions undermine democracy or the rule of law” because of the ongoing repression in this Central American country.
The Council of Europe stated: “The detention of the seventh potential presidential candidate…sadly illustrates the severity of Nicaragua’s repression and paints a grim picture of the upcoming elections.”
Ortega, 75, is expected to run for re-election in a poll on November 7.
After serving as president for the first time from 1984 to 1990, he returned to power in 2007 and has been in office to this day. He made his wife his vice president in 2017.
According to human rights agencies, in 2018, protests against their rule were brutally suppressed by government forces, resulting in more than 300 deaths and thousands of forced exiles.
In the crackdown that began on June 2, the Ortega government rounded up political opponents in a series of house raids and night arrests on charges of threatening the sovereignty of Nicaragua.
Ortega called them inflammatory “criminals” and “agents of the Yankee Empire.”
Among the 31 detained, there are 7 opposition presidential candidates. The latest is Noel Vidaurre, who was arrested and placed under house arrest on July 24.
Despite pressure from the European Parliament, EU member states did not add Ortega himself to the growing list of sanctions.
The EU statement said: “These measures are aimed at individuals and aim to not harm the Nicaraguan population or the Nicaraguan economy.”
It added that it “strongly condemns the continued suppression of political opposition, demonstrators, independent media and civil society in Nicaragua”.
In June, the United States announced sanctions on four Nicaraguan officials allied with Ortega, including his daughter.
The European Union and the United States called on Ortega to release the arrested immediately and called on his government to engage in dialogue with the opposition.
