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President Donald J. Trump is Pressuring the Nicaraguan Regime to Restore Democracy and the Rule of Law

Foreign Policy

Issued on:

COMMITTED TO LIBERTY, DEMOCRACY, AND THE RULE OF LAW: President Donald J. Trump is taking a strong stand against the corrupt Nicaraguan regime.

  • Today, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Nicaragua.”
  • This Order demonstrates the President’s strong leadership in the Western Hemisphere, defense of democratic principles, and protection of human rights.
  • The President’s Order permits:
    • Sanctions against individuals, entities, and their associates engaged in corruption, human rights abuses, and undermining democracy in Nicaragua.
    • The targeting of individuals and entities that threaten peace, security, and stability in Nicaragua.
  • President Trump is committed to pressuring the regime of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to restore democracy and rule of law in the country.
  • President Trump is calling for free, fair, and early elections in Nicaragua to give the Nicaraguan people a true voice and vote in their future.

IMPOSING SANCTIONS: The Trump Administration is imposing targeted sanctions against high-level officials from the Nicaraguan regime and their supporters.

  • The Department of the Treasury is imposing sanctions on high-level officials from the Nicaraguan regime. Individuals sanctioned include:
    • Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Maria Murillo De Ortega; and
    • Nestor Moncada Lau – who has acted as a national security advisor to the President and Vice President of Nicaragua.
  • These individuals are involved in human rights abuse or acts of corruption in Nicaragua.
  • The Trump Administration will continue to add pressure on the Ortega regime and its supporters, using all the economic and diplomatic tools at our disposal.

STANDING UP TO AUTOCRATIC REGIMES: President Trump is confronting regimes in the region that disregard democracy and degrade security and stability in the hemisphere.

  • President Trump’s actions demonstrate his continued commitment to standing up to autocratic regimes in the Western Hemisphere.
    • Since taking office, President Trump has worked to counteract the corrupt and destabilizing regimes in Cuba and Venezuela.
  • President Trump stands with the Cuban, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan people and supports their calls for freedom.
  • The Trump Administration will continue to publicly denounce Nicaragua under the Ortega regime as one of three undemocratic outliers in the region.