This week, the U.S. condemned the socialist Nicaraguan regime of Daniel Ortega for its state-sponsored violence against the people of Nicaragua.
Since Ortega returned to power in 2007, he has illegally pressured the judiciary through dictatorial tactics to remove opposition party candidates from the ballot, including 16 of 27 opposition members in 2016. He also leveraged the Nicaraguan supreme court to disqualify Eduardo Montealegre, the leader of the main opposition party, from the November 2016 election. In August 2016, Ortega chose his wife, Rosario Murillo, as his vice presidential running-mate for re-election. Together, their nepotistic kleptocracy continues to strip the Nicaraguan people of their political and economic rights.
Ortega’s policies have made Nicaragua the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, in front of Haiti. What’s more, Nicaragua is almost comparable to Venezuela in regard to government corruption.
In April, the people of Nicaragua finally grew tired of Ortega’s regime and took to the streets, thus revealing themselves to Ortega and his thugs. Recently, Ortega bought $80 million in Russian Tanks to bolster his military might. It is also rumored that Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and Ortega have been swapping strategies on how to secure their regimes. Some speculate Ortega is using arms and snipers gifted to Ortega by Maduro against his own people. Current estimates say over 350 have been killed and thousands more injured since mid-April.
On Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence said it was “undeniable” that Ortega’s government is responsible for these rampant human rights abuses.
Following the vice president’s lead, the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 981, which expresses support for the protesters fighting against Ortega’s systematic violence and suppression.
In presenting the bill, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce condemned Ortega’s use of “brutal force” against his own people. “This resolution represents broad bipartisan condemnation of the Ortega regime’s violence and supports the people of Nicaragua in their pursuit of freedom,” said Royce. Below is the full text of his remarks:
Nicaragua’s authoritarian president, Daniel Ortega – yes, that Daniel Ortega, who lost the presidency all the way back in 1990 – is tightening his grip on power. He has now resorted to using brutal force against the Nicaraguan people, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries.
One of the civilians murdered on a village street in Nicaragua by Ortega’s thugs was a former neighbor of an Orange County friend of mine.
This resolution represents broad bipartisan condemnation of the Ortega regime’s violence and supports the people of Nicaragua in their pursuit of freedom. Nicaraguans understandably want self-determination, an end to corruption and free and fair elections.
The international community – in particular the Organization of American States regional leaders – must continue to stand with the brave protestors who are being targeted and assassinated by their own government. Ortega’s fellow authoritarian partner, Nicolas Maduro, uses these same tactics against the Venezuelan people. Venezuelans and Nicaraguans deserve better than this, and this resolution shows this body’s commitment to standing shoulder to shoulder with people seeking freedom from murderous dictators.
The administration was correct earlier this month in sanctioning three senior Nicaraguan officials for human rights abuses and corruption under the U.S. Global Magnitsky Act – something this resolution affirms. But more can still be done, and this resolution encourages the administration to continue to pressure Ortega to stop the violence and to move forward with free and fair elections.