US imposes visa restrictions on relatives of Nicaraguan officials

For months, the Ortega administration has been detaining political adversaries ahead of the November 7 elections.

The United States has imposed visa restrictions on 50 immediate family members of Nicaraguan lawmakers, prosecutors and judges, the State Department said on Friday. “Today we are announcing visa restrictions against a further 50 individuals, all immediate family members of regime-affiliated officials who have directly contributed to measures adopted by the Government of Nicaragua that do not meet the conditions for transparent, free, and fair elections to which all OAS member states have committed under the Inter-American Democratic Charter,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. “As these actions demonstrate, the United States is committed to promoting broad accountability for anyone responsible for or benefitting from the Ortega-Murillo regime’s attacks on democratic institutions.”