The Biden administration is taking action against Nicaragua in an effort to curb migration to the U.S. southern border and penalize the country for alleged human rights abuses and its ties to Russia. President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo are accused of profiting off desperate migrants by selling visas that require them to leave the country within 96 hours. The administration issued an aviation alert for air carriers and charter flight companies to notify them of the exploitation of migrants using their services and recommended that they participate in travel document validation processes.
The sanctions imposed on Nicaragua are both logistical and political, with Russia also implicated in the actions taken by the administration. The Training Center of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Managua is being sanctioned as it trains the Nicaraguan National Police to prosecute political opposition. U.S. officials accuse Ortega and Murillo of unjustly detaining their countrymen who advocate for civil society, religious freedom, and freedom of expression, aligning themselves with Russia’s authoritarian government. The administration is targeting Nicaragua’s financial elites by sanctioning government-run gold companies and imposing visa restrictions on government members and society leaders who inhibit rights and freedoms for the Nicaraguan people.
The Biden administration is working to address concerns about the government of Nicaragua and its repression of its people and exploitation of migrants. The U.S. officials hope to deter migrants from traveling through Nicaragua to the U.S. southern border by imposing sanctions and restrictions on the country. By targeting the leadership of President Ortega and Vice President Murillo, as well as Russian involvement in training Nicaraguan police, the administration aims to pressure Nicaragua to respect human rights and cease its abuses. The sanctions are intended to disrupt the current system of profiting off of migrants and discourage further exploitation.
In addition to the sanctions, the administration is taking measures to hold Nicaragua accountable for its actions and to raise awareness of the exploitation of migrants traveling through the country. By issuing an aviation alert for airlines and charter flight companies, the administration hopes to prevent the use of their services for the exploitation of migrants and encourage cooperation in identifying and reporting concerns about the Nicaraguan government’s actions at airports. The targeting of government-run gold companies and the imposition of visa restrictions on government and society leaders are aimed at putting pressure on Nicaragua’s financial elites and those responsible for inhibiting the rights and freedoms of the Nicaraguan people.
Overall, the actions taken by the Biden administration against Nicaragua are part of a broader effort to address migration issues and human rights abuses in the region. By targeting the leadership of President Ortega and Vice President Murillo, as well as Russian involvement in training the Nicaraguan National Police, the administration aims to pressure Nicaragua to respect human rights and cease its abuses. The sanctions and restrictions imposed on Nicaragua are meant to disrupt the current system of profiting off of migrants and discourage further exploitation. The administration’s measures are intended to hold Nicaragua accountable for its actions and raise awareness of the exploitation of migrants traveling through the country.
