The administration of US President Joe Biden is working with international partners on new sanctions that could be imposed in response to the November 7 elections in Nicaragua, which Washington has denounced as a sham organized by President Daniel Ortega, US officials say. .
The United States government has also initiated a review of Nicaragua’s participation in a free trade agreement with Central America and has already stopped supporting any “development of commercial capacity“Deemed to benefit the Ortega government, a senior State Department official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The Biden administration, building on sanctions imposed by its predecessor Donald Trump, has applied financial punishment measures and travel bans on dozens of Nicaraguan officials, including members of the Ortega family, amid repression by the Central American government prior to the elections.
The Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, declared last week that Ortega, who aspires to a fourth term, and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, were “preparing a false and credible election, silencing and arresting their opponents”.
A US government source said new post-election sanctions were in the works, and the State Department official also noted that such a move was likely.
“We will continue to use the diplomatic and economic tools at our disposal to promote the accountability of those who support the human rights abuses of the Ortega regime and the attacks on Nicaraguan democracy.”Said the State Department official.
“We have sanctions tools. We are working with international partners, as well as in multilateral forums, so that our values are upheld, and we will continue to do so.”Added the official.
Both officials refused to identify the possible targets of the sanctions or provide a date for the new measures. The European Union (EU) has adopted some sanctions similar to the US ones, but it is unclear how far the EU and regional governments are willing to go to pressure Ortega.
It is also uncertain whether the US government is considering targeting Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla leader, directly. Murillo, seen by US officials as a powerful and influential person, already faces sanctions.
The Biden government last week spearheaded a resolution by the Organization of American States (OAS) that expressed “alarm” over Nicaraguan repression and is also looking for ways to put financial pressure on the Ortega government.
US officials have warned that Nicaragua’s membership in the CAFTA-DR regional trade agreement, which gives preferential treatment to Central American exports to the United States, could be in jeopardy if Ortega rigs the election in its favor.
The State Department official confirmed that a review is underway. “We continue to review your participation in any assistance program sponsored by the United States.”Said the source.
The official acknowledged, however, that the government is discussing possible legal obstacles to any suspension of Nicaragua from the trade pact, which some experts have suggested could complicate any action.
A person familiar with the matter said there are also concerns within the government that the removal of Nicaragua could hit an already struggling economy hard enough to worsen the humanitarian situation for Nicaraguans, encouraging further migration to the border between states. States and Mexico.
About half of Nicaraguan exports go to the United States, with low tariffs under CAFTA-DR.
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