Just one day into the launch of <a href="https://mayflowercigars.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayflower Cigars</a>, The Daily Wire’s initial supply of nearly 30,000 cigars was wiped clean by enthusiastic customers, and now the company is ramping up shipments to meet the ongoing high demand as pre-orders continue to arrive ahead of the holidays.
Daily Wire host Michael Knowles announced the launch of the new premium, handmade cigar line on Wednesday, unveiling the new venture on his daily podcast. Within hours, the “<a href="https://mayflowercigars.com/mayflower-dawn-cigars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayflower Dawn</a>” &amp; “<a href="https://mayflowercigars.com/mayflower-dusk-cigars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayflower Dusk</a>” sampler packs were sold out, and The Daily Wire was feverishly rerouting and pulling forward upcoming shipments of the in-demand vitolas. 
“Mayflower Cigars was the best first day cigar launch we have ever had at Brandshopper. Inventory stocks allocated by the factory that were expected to last through the holidays sold out in under 24 hours,” said Alex Svenson, who is the special projects chief at Brandshopper, which is a leader in U.S. premium cigar sales and a Mayflower Cigars distribution partner. 
<a href="https://mayflowercigars.com/cigar-samplers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-651109 aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; display: block; margin: 0 auto;" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-4-300x300.jpeg" alt="" width="512" height="512" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-4-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-4-576x576.jpeg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-4-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-4-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-4.jpeg 1030w" sizes="(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></a>
<a href="https://mayflowercigars.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayflower Cigars</a>, the latest Daily Wire consumer brand, will provide premium, handmade cigars sourced in Nicaragua and crafted with the guidance of Knowles’ personal taste. Daily Wire’s launch of Mayflower Cigars follows the creation of other Daily Wire brands like Jeremy’s Razors and Jeremy’s Chocolate. 
The cigars, which are Knowles&#8217; personal blend, are handmade in his favorite cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, and created by Knowles and designers at Oliva Cigar Co. Knowles, a longtime cigar aficionado, revealed that cigars had played a major role in his life, from helping to get him into college to landing a show with The Daily Wire.
<a href="https://mayflowercigars.com/mayflower-dawn-cigars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-651111 aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; display: block; margin: 0 auto;" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-3-300x300.jpeg" alt="" width="512" height="512" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-3-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-3-576x576.jpeg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-3-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-3-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-3.jpeg 1030w" sizes="(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></a>
The unprecedented success of the cigars was “astonishing,” according to Oliva Cigar Co. CEO Cory Bappert, whose company is a Mayflower Cigar manufacturing partner. 
“Mayflower, in its first 24 hours of launch, sold what we expected to be sold in the first 4 months. This level of sales on the first day is astonishing,” Bappert said. 
Mayflower Cigars, which come in two blends and six vitolas, were created in a factory known for producing some of the highest quality cigars in the world. 
The Mayflower Dawn blend is a mild-to-medium-bodied smoke in an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Cameroon binder, and Nicaraguan fillers. It comes in Robusto, Toro, and Churchill sizes. The Mayflower Dusk blend is a medium-to-full-bodied cigar, with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Sumatra binder, and Nicaraguan fillers. The Dusk comes in Robusto, Toro, and Toro Gordo.
<a href="https://mayflowercigars.com/mayflower-dusk-cigars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-651115 aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; display: block; margin: 0 auto;" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-2-300x300.jpeg" alt="" width="512" height="512" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-2-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-2-576x576.jpeg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-2-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-2-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Cigar-2.jpeg 1030w" sizes="(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></a>
The branding for the cigars comes from a mix of Knowles’ family heritage and American history. Knowles had relatives cross the ocean on the Mayflower when the Pilgrims landed in New England on November 11, 1620. 
“Tobacco in many ways built America. Christopher Columbus discovered it on his first voyage to the New World in 1492. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew and sold tobacco both before and after the Revolution,” Knowles said.
Mayflower Cigars are available today and can be ordered at <a href="https://mayflowercigars.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mayflowercigars.com</a>. You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase tobacco products. Some exclusions apply.

Michael Knowles

Daily Wire Sells 4 Months’ Inventory Of ‘Mayflower Cigars’ In 24 Hours In ‘Astonishing’ Market Debut

Jeremy's Chocolate

Jeremy's Razors

Nicaragua

Daily Wire host and bestselling author Michael Knowles announced the launch of a new Daily Wire premium, handmade cigar line called <a href="https://mayflowercigars.com">Mayflower Cigars</a> on Wednesday, unveiling the new venture on his daily podcast. 
Mayflower Cigars, the latest Daily Wire consumer brand, will provide premium, handmade cigars sourced in Nicaragua and crafted with the guidance of Knowles’ personal taste. Daily Wire’s launch of Mayflower Cigars follows the creation of other Daily Wire brands like Jeremy’s Razors and Jeremy’s Chocolate. 
The cigars are handmade in Knowles’ favorite cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, and were created by Knowles and designers at Oliva Cigar Co. Knowles, a longtime cigar aficionado, revealed that cigars had played a major role in his life, from helping to get him into college to landing a show with The Daily Wire. 
<div class="image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-650549 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/F-bH6-WXUAAnTar-576x576.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/F-bH6-WXUAAnTar-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/F-bH6-WXUAAnTar-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/F-bH6-WXUAAnTar-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/F-bH6-WXUAAnTar.jpg 680w" sizes="(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" /></div>
“Cigars are among the few things I’ve loved longer than my wife, whom I first started dating in high school. An essay on my love of cigars helped get me into college. A cigar review convinced The Daily Wire to give me a show. From the moment a family friend gave me my first cigar — a machine-made Cuban — I fell in love with the whole affair: the flavor, of course, but also the ritual and, most of all, the culture,” he said. 
Mayflower Cigars, which come in <a href="https://mayflowercigars.com">two blends and six vitolas,</a> were created in a factory known for producing some of the highest quality cigars in the world. 
The Mayflower Dawn blend is a mild-to-medium-bodied smoke in an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Cameroon binder, and Nicaraguan fillers. It comes in Robusto, Toro, and Churchill sizes. The Mayflower Dusk blend is a medium-to-full-bodied cigar, with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Sumatra binder, and Nicaraguan fillers. The Dusk comes in Robusto, Toro, and Toro Gordo. 
<div id="attachment_650547" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-650547" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-650547 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/F-bH6-UXQAAvBxj-576x576.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/F-bH6-UXQAAvBxj-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/F-bH6-UXQAAvBxj-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/F-bH6-UXQAAvBxj-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/F-bH6-UXQAAvBxj.jpg 680w" sizes="(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />Mayflower Cigars</div>
The branding for the cigars comes from a mix of Knowles’ family heritage and American history. Knowles had relatives cross the ocean on the Mayflower when the Pilgrims landed in New England on November 11, 1620. 
“Tobacco in many ways built America. Christopher Columbus discovered it on his first voyage to the New World in 1492. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew and sold tobacco both before and after the Revolution,” Knowles said. 
Mayflower Cigars are available today and can be ordered at <a href="https://mayflowercigars.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mayflowercigars.com</a>. You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase tobacco products. Some exclusions apply.

michaelabout (3) (1)

Daily Wire Launches ‘Mayflower Cigars,’ A New Premium, Handmade Cigar Line

American History

Everyone has the fundamental human right to live and speak the truth, and when repression hits, these are often the first liberties under attack. The right to freely speak one’s mind exposes repressive regimes for what they are, driving dictatorships to clamp down on free speech and the free exercise of religion. The crisis of human rights happening in Nicaragua today highlights this age-old trend in action. All who dare to speak out against the Ortega regime risk brutal silencing and punishing at the hands of the state, and one leader in particular, <a href="https://adfinternational.org/bishop-rolando-alvarez/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bishop Rolando Álvarez</a>, has garnered international attention for his steadfast fidelity to the truth. 
<div id="attachment_630017" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-630017" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-630017" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1240793695-864x576.jpg" alt="Nicaraguan Catholic bishop Rolando Alvarez prays at the Santo Cristo de Esquipulas church in Managua, on May 20, 2022. - Alvarez, a strong critic of Daniel Ortega's government, started on Thursday a hunger strike in protest against what he considers a persecution and police siege against him. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1240793695-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1240793695-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1240793695-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1240793695.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />STR/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Nicaraguans are experiencing significant oppression under the Ortega regime. A majority Catholic country, the government has targeted the Catholic Church in its efforts to dismantle any remaining opposition to its consolidation of power. The country has been in a state of turmoil since April 2018 with the eruption of massive protests against the government. Although the Church initially was approached to moderate tensions between the people and the government, the regime has since done an about-face, setting its sights on religious orders, places of worship, institutions, and media.
Bishop Álvarez, responding to his sense of duty as a Catholic pastor, became a peaceful, but insistent, witness against these attacks, delivering words of hope to the people in his church sermons. The bishop caught the world’s attention when he refused an offer of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-caribbean-daniel-ortega-rosario-murillo-c7930c6340472867148ca7e79e09f1eb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exile</a> from the Nicaraguan government, choosing to remain with his people.
<div id="attachment_630015" style="width: 880px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-630015" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-630015" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1242311907-870x576.jpg" alt="Police officers and riot police patrol outside Matagalpa's Archbishop Curia preventing Monsignor Rolando Alvarez from leaving, in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, on August 4, 2022. - Riot police on Thursday prevented Nicaraguan Bishop, Rolando Alvarez, from leaving the church building to preside at a mass as part of a &quot;prayer crusade&quot; being carried out by the church, following the closure of several Catholic media outlets and allegations of harassment. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)" width="870" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1242311907-870x576.jpg 870w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1242311907-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1242311907-768x509.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1242311907.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px" />STR/AFP via Getty Images</div>
For sharing a message of faith with the people of Nicaragua, the bishop was held under house arrest and subsequently charged and convicted as a criminal — a violation of his human rights in blatant contravention of international law. First arrested in August of 2022, in February of this year, Bishop Álvarez was stripped of his citizenship rights and sentenced to 26 years in prison in a sham trial he did not know was happening. He was convicted as a traitor for “undermining national integrity” and “propagation of false news.” Further, the bishop was denied his lawyer of choice, and his lawyer was later prevented from obtaining essential information about his case. A request for an appeal of his conviction was summarily denied, reflective of the state of affairs of the justice system in Nicaragua.
Absent any effective avenues for justice in a country overrun by oppressive forces, the bishop’s only recourse is international action. On September 12, ADF International <a href="https://adfinternational.org/bishop-alvarez-case-filed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a petition for urgent intervention at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the body charged with the protection of human rights in Latin America. Currently on the 7th month of his prison sentence, the bishop’s current health and wellbeing are unknown, prompting international <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/is-nicaragua-s-bishop-alvarez-still-alive-a-u-s-congressman-demands-proof" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concern</a>. It is imperative that the Commission act now to demand his release and an end to the human rights abuses besieging the people of Nicaragua.
<div id="attachment_630061" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-630061" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-630061" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1242596017-864x576.jpg" alt="People pray during a mass at the Matagalpa Cathedral in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, on August 19, 2022. - Nicaraguan police on August 19, 2022 forcefully removed Catholic bishop and government critic Rolando Alvarez from his official residence after two weeks under siege, said Church and rights groups who had no news on his whereabouts. (Photo by OSWALDO RIVAS / AFP) (Photo by OSWALDO RIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1242596017-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1242596017-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1242596017-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1242596017.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />OSWALDO RIVAS/AFP via Getty Images</div>
On September 11, another Nicaraguan priest was arrested for the “crime” of praying for Bishop Álvarez. The regime is sending clear signals — dissent will not be tolerated. In times of repression, people look to their leaders, and the Ortega regime’s hostility toward Álvarez and others broadcasts to all of society that religious expression is not allowed.
No one should suffer persecution at the hands of the state because of their faith. All concerned with the protection of human rights should be outraged by the Nicaraguan crisis, speaking out in defense of Bishop Álvarez and the people of Nicaragua.
Elyssa Koren serves as director of legal communications for ADF International, which has petitioned the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on the case of Nicaraguan bishop Rolando Álvarez.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

NICARAGUA-RELIGION-BISHOP-HUNGER STRIKE

Nicaraguan Bishop Slapped With 26-Year Sentence In Kangaroo Court

Catholic

Catholic Church

Communism

Prison

Readers Pass

On Thursday, National Security Adviser John Bolton told an audience in Miami about what is expected to be a harsher policy from the Trump administration toward Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. Bolton will speak in front of the Freedom Tower, where Cuban refugees 50 years ago were welcomed to the United States.
Bolton hinted at his upcoming remarks on Wednesday, tweeting, &#8220;Tomorrow I will give remarks on President Trump&#8217;s policy in Latin America at this historic Freedom Tower in Miami, Florida&#8212;I can think of no more fitting setting.
On Thursday, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-01/trump-orders-sanctions-on-venezuela-gold-to-pressure-maduro">Bolton asserted</a>, &#8220;This triangle of terror stretching from Havana to Caracas to Managua is the cause of immense human suffering, the impetus of enormous regional instability, and the genesis of a sordid cradle of communism in the Western Hemisphere. Under President Trump, the United States is taking direct action against all three regimes to defend the rule of law, liberty, and basic human decency in our region.&#8221;
Bolton also announced that the State Department sanctioned roughly 25 businesses owned or controlled by the Cuban military and intelligence services, thus blocking them from doing business with U.S. citizens or businesses. He said, &#8220;The Cuban military and intelligence agencies must not disproportionately profit from the United States, its people, its travelers, or its businesses.&#8221;
President Trump has already differed sharply from his predecessor, as Trump has implemented tough sanctions on Venezuela and Nicaragua; the sanctions against Nicaragua were prompted by the Ortega government using brutal means to suppress protests. Unlike Barack Obama&#8217;s warmth toward the repressive Cuban government, Trump yanked virtually all of the U.S. embassy staff from Havana after they suffered inexplicable health problems.
As <a href="https://freebeacon.com/national-security/boltons-miami-speech-will-ratchet-pressure-cuba-venezuela/">The Washington Free Beacon</a> notes, &#8220;Trump is trying to motivate conservative voters in Southwest Florida and the Panhandle to go to the polls and punch their ballot for GOP governor candidate Ron DeSantis and U.S. Senate candidate Rick Scott. Democrats are trying to energize Democratic voters in Miami for governor candidate Andrew Gillum and Sen. Bill Nelson (D., Fla.).&#8221;
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Cuban-American who is fiercely against the Castro government in Cuba, introduced Bolton.
On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order authorizing new sanctions on Venezuela&#8217;s gold sector, as Trump wants to disrupt Venezuela&#8217;s trade with Turkey that is helping Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro stay in power. Bolton said on Thursday, &#8220;The Maduro regime has used this sector as a bastion to finance illicit activities, to fill its coffers, and to support criminal groups.&#8221;
Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-venezuela-bolton/trump-increases-pressure-on-venezuela-with-sanctions-on-gold-idUSKCN1N65P6">reported</a>:
<blockquote>
Venezuela this year turned to gold as a way to receive desperately-needed hard currency, exporting 23.62 tonnes of gold worth $900 million to Turkey in the first nine months of the year, compared with zero in the same period last year, official Turkish data showed. In 2016, Maduro declared war on illegal miners and declared gold a strategic priority in an effort to spur production in the so-called &#8220;Mining Arc&#8221; to create an alternative source of revenue for the oil-dependent economy.
</blockquote>
Although Trump spoke early in his presidency of a &#8220;possible military option&#8221; for Venezuela, on Thursday Bolton dismissed the idea, stating, &#8220;I don&#8217;t see that happening in part because I am very firmly of the view that as the sanctions torque up, the pressure will become unbearable.&#8221;

Bolton: We’re Ratcheting Up The Pressure On Cuba, Venezuela, And Nicaragua

Cuba

Donald Trump

John Bolton

Venezuela

The Catholic Church in Nicaragua is under assault, and it’s getting worse.
On Monday, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued a furious tweet in which he condemned Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his government for their persecution of clergymen in their country:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">The Ortega/Murillo regime in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nicaragua?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nicaragua</a> has in essence declared war on the church &amp; it’s clergy. Lost in all the coverage of other issues is this rapidly escalating crisis in our hemisphere which has direct implications on our national security &amp; interests <a href="https://t.co/1WxZRJ9AZS">https://t.co/1WxZRJ9AZS</a>
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1021410997561683971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
As <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/22/world/americas/nicaragua-protests-catholic-church.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&amp;smid=nytcore-ipad-share">The New York Times</a> noted, the recent crisis in Nicaragua, which was triggered by protests against a tax increase, has claimed more than 300 lives. At the beginning, Ortega was conciliatory with the Catholic Church, asking bishops to act as mediators in talks with the rebelling students, business associations and farmers’ organizations. But later Ortega unleashed his followers to attack priests and churches.
Juan Sebastián Chamorro, a member of the opposition alliance, stated that Ortega’s government “has declared war on the church.” Managua’s auxiliary bishop, Msgr. Silvio José Báez, who has become the leader of the opposition, told the Times, “What there is here is an armed state against an unarmed people. … One thing that has to be clear is that being the mediators of a dialogue does not make us neutral before injustice, before human rights violations, before the death of innocents.”
In recent days, masked paramilitaries have been targeting rebellious towns south of Managua. Last Thursday, Ortega denounced the church, accusing them of hiding arms for the rebels. He said, “I thought they were mediators, but no. They were committed to the coup-plotters, they were part of the plan with the coup-plotters.” Roughly two weeks ago, Ortega ripped “those who curse us and condemn us to death in the name of religious institutions.”
Last week, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/church-becomes-target-in-nicaragua-crisis-1532376158">The Wall Street Journal</a>, hundreds of elite police and paramilitary forces <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/nicaragua-cracks-down-on-rebel-city-1531851835?mod=article_inline">stormed a parish</a> with a fusillade of bullets. One priest stated tearfully, “They are defiling the churches. The government is killing us.” The Journal noted, “Clergy have been assaulted and at least 10 churches have been attacked, shot at, looted or defiled during the last three months, mostly by government-allied paramilitary groups, clerics said.”
On July 13, paramilitaries opened fire on the parish house and Church of Divine Mercy in Managua; two people were killed and 10 wounded.

Nicaraguan Government Targets Catholic Church

Catholicism

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&#8217;s policies have made Nicaragua the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, in front of Haiti. What&#8217;s more, Nicaragua is almost comparable to Venezuela in regard to government <a href="https://www.transparency.org/news/feature/corruption_perceptions_index_2017">corruption</a>.
In April, the people of Nicaragua finally grew tired of Ortega&#8217;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&#8217;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 <a href="https://www.firstorderhistorians.com/2018/07/11/death-toll-protests-nicaragua-rises-to-350/">350</a> have been killed and thousands more injured since mid-April.
On Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence said it was &#8220;undeniable&#8221; that Ortega&#8217;s government is responsible for these rampant human rights abuses.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
State-sponsored violence in Nicaragua is undeniable. Ortega&#8217;s propaganda fools no one and changes nothing. 350+ dead at the hands of the regime. The US calls on the Ortega government to end the violence NOW and hold early elections&#8212;the world is watching! <a href="https://t.co/jvNCznmfE5">https://t.co/jvNCznmfE5</a>
&#8212; Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1021823423968956416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
Following the vice president&#8217;s lead, the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 981, which expresses support for the protesters fighting against Ortega&#8217;s systematic violence and suppression.
In presenting the bill, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce condemned Ortega&#8217;s use of &#8220;brutal force&#8221; against his own people. &#8220;This resolution represents broad bipartisan condemnation of the Ortega regime&#8217;s violence and supports the people of Nicaragua in their pursuit of freedom,&#8221; said Royce. Below is the full text of his remarks:
<blockquote>
Nicaragua&#8217;s authoritarian president, Daniel Ortega &#8211; yes, that Daniel Ortega, who lost the presidency all the way back in 1990 &#8211; 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&#8217;s thugs was a former neighbor of an Orange County friend of mine.
This resolution represents broad bipartisan condemnation of the Ortega regime&#8217;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 &#8211; in particular the Organization of American States regional leaders &#8211; must continue to stand with the brave protestors who are being targeted and assassinated by their own government. Ortega&#8217;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&#8217;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 &#8211; 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.
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U.S. Pressuring Nicaraguan Dictator To End The Violence

Mike Pence

Socialism

Trump Administration

Caught between a history of European colonialism and modern experiments with Marxism, many Latin American states find themselves riddled with political impotency. It’s no secret that the region ranks amongst the most corrupt in the world. But every now and then, a despotic madman does something that stuns even the most cynical of observers.
Holding a virtual monopoly on power for decades now, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has chosen his wife, First Lady Rosario Murillo, as his running mate in the upcoming farce of a national election.
As the chief government spokeswoman, Murillo already holds immense power, operating as a de facto co-leader of Nicaragua alongside her husband. Ortega now just wants to make it official. “Critics accuse the first couple of running Nicaragua &#8211; which has elections in November &#8211; like a personal fiefdom,” <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36961421">notes</a> the BBC.
The Nicaraguan president is seeking re-election for a third term. He re-assumed control of the presidency in 2007, after holding the office from 1985–1990. This year, he will run for president for the seventh time.
Ortega’s first taste of power came during the Sandinista revolution, when the Cuban-mimicking socialist guerrilla group violently overthrew the Somoza dynasty and seized control of the government in 1979.
Although the Sandinistas lost the presidential office in an electoral vote during the 1990s, the socialist revolutionaries never truly lost control over government policy. For decades, the Sandinistas have imposed wildly ineffective Marxist-inspired social programs that have done little to alleviate the crushing poverty paralyzing the lives of Nicaragua&#8217;s poorest citizens.
Nevertheless, the Ortegas, and their Sandinista cohorts, still enjoy significant popular support.
“Hundreds of Sandinista supporters cheered the couple” when they “officially submitted their candidacy papers in the capital Managua, accompanied by the legal adviser of their Sandinista party,” explains the BBC.
In fact, First Lady Murillo is already a household name. Many Nicaraguans know her as an eccentric who routinely appears on television propagating the tenets of bullsh*t New Age spirituality. Dressed in embarrassingly outdated 1960s hippie garments, Murillo also enjoys ranting about the virtues of failed government policies.
Nicaragua will hold its next general election on November 6, 2016. Daniel Ortega has banned international observers from monitoring the election. The nepotistic Ortegas will likely win. Because socialism.

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