Central America

EU, US widen Nicaragua sanctions as Ortega begins new term

AFP

Daniel Ortega was sworn in Monday as Nicaragua’s president for a fourth straight term as the EU and US tightened sanctions over impugned elections held in November with all his challengers in jail.

“Yes, I swear,” said strongman Ortega as he and his wife Rosario Murillo, who was re-elected vice-president, were sworn in at a ceremony attended by the presidents of Cuba and Venezuela and envoys from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and Syria, among others.

Even before the event got under way, the European Union announced fresh sanctions against individuals it accuses of “undermining democracy” and human rights abuses in Nicaragua, including Ortega’s daughter and a son — both working as presidential advisors.

Others sanctioned “in view of the worsening situation in Nicaragua” were senior officials of the country’s police force and electoral body, said the EU.

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In Washington, the US Treasury placed sanctions on six regime officials, including two generals, the defense minister, the head of the Supreme Electoral Council and officials of the telecommunications regulator, who allegedly ran a social media troll farm to help Ortega.

Travel restrictions were imposed on 116 individuals tied to the regime, including mayors, prosecutors, security and university officials “complicit in undermining democracy,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

In his inaugural address, Ortega, 76, mocked the sanctions, calling them a “decoration” for Brenda Rocha, the electoral council head, who was one of the officials sanctioned.

He called the US measures “cowardly” and “cruel (…) not just to Nicaragua” but also to Cuba and Venezuela, which have also been subjected for years to “brutal sanctions” that he said must cease.

– Russia and China –

In the months leading up to the November 7 vote, Nicaraguan authorities detained nearly 40 opposition figures, including seven would-be presidential challengers, assuring victory for long-time ruler Ortega.

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As the international community rained opprobrium and sanctions on Ortega, he sought to improve ties with economic giants China and Russia.

Managua switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing, in return for which China reopened its embassy in the Central American nation and donated thousands of coronavirus vaccines.

Moscow, in response to outreach from Managua, provided the country with wheat, vaccines, even buses for public transport.

A firebrand Marxist in his youth, Ortega ruled Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, after leading a guerrilla army that ousted US-backed dictator Anastasio Somoza.

Returning to power in 2007, he has won re-election three times, becoming increasingly dictatorial and quashing presidential term limits.

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Ortega, with Murillo on his ticket, garnered 75 percent of the vote in November.

The election took place without independent international observers and with most foreign media denied access to the country.

The Nicaraguan parliament is dominated by Ortega allies, who also control the judiciary and electoral bodies.

Days before the election, Facebook announced it had closed a Nicaraguan government troll farm spreading anti-opposition messages.

Besides Rocha, the head of the Supreme Electoral Council, the European Union also imposed sanctions on the council’s deputy head and a senior official who was acting chief in 2018.

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The country’s telecoms enterprise was also listed for its bid “to silence independent media” and spread “disinformation.”

– ‘Sham’ –

US President Joe Biden has slammed the vote as a “sham” and the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS) said it was “not free, just or transparent.”

As sanctions were almost immediately announced by the US, EU, Canada, and Britain, Russia attacked the West for not recognizing the results.

“We consider this unacceptable and we strongly condemn such a stance,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in November.

The US State Department says Ortega’s regime continues to hold 170 political prisoners.

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They include some 120 people who participated in anti-government protests in 2018 that were brutally repressed, causing more than 300 deaths and sending more than 100,000 people into exile, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Ortega insists the jailed are criminals and “terrorists” seeking to overthrow him with help from the United States.

Dozens of Nicaraguan exiles protested in neighboring Costa Rica on Sunday against Ortega’s inauguration.

The protest came on the same day that Nicaragua’s new parliament, also elected in November and dominated by Ortega’s left-wing Sandinista National Liberation Front, was officially opened.

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Central America

Costa Rica closes embassy in Cuba, citing human rights concerns

The government of Costa Rica announced on Wednesday the closure of its embassy in Cuba, a move that signals a further deterioration in diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Foreign Minister Arnoldo André confirmed that Costa Rica has also requested the withdrawal of Cuban diplomatic personnel from San José, leaving only consular representation in place.

According to André, the decision is driven by concerns over the worsening human rights situation on the island, including increased repression against citizens and opposition figures.

He also noted that Cuba’s ongoing economic and social crisis—marked by shortages of food, medicine, and basic services—has made the operation of the embassy increasingly difficult.

President Rodrigo Chaves backed the measure, stating that his administration does not recognize the legitimacy of Cuba’s political system.

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In response, the Cuban government rejected the decision, calling it a “unilateral” move taken under pressure from United States.

“Under pressure from the United States, Costa Rica has limited its relations with Cuba to consular matters,” Cuba’s Foreign Ministry said, describing the action as “arbitrary.”

Despite the diplomatic setback, Cuban authorities stated that historical ties between the two nations would endure.

Central America

Costa Rica closes Cuba embassy as president escalates rhetoric

The president of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, escalated political rhetoric on Wednesday, stating that “the hemisphere must be cleansed of communists,” following his government’s decision to close its embassy in Cuba.

The remarks come as Costa Rica moves to downgrade diplomatic relations with the island, citing a sustained deterioration in human rights. Chaves reiterated that his administration does not recognize the legitimacy of the Cuban government, accusing it of repression and of maintaining poor living conditions for its population.

“We do not recognize the legitimacy of that government. We will not maintain a consulate there; services will be handled from Panama,” Chaves said during a press conference.

The president also argued that the communist model has “failed” not only in Cuba but in every country where it has been implemented, emphasizing that freedom is essential for development.

The decision was made in coordination with president-elect Laura Fernández, who is set to take office on May 8 and is expected to maintain the same foreign policy stance.

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Foreign Minister Arnoldo André confirmed the closure of the embassy in Havana and requested that Cuba withdraw its diplomatic personnel from San José, while maintaining limited consular functions.

Costa Rican authorities justified the move by pointing to increased repression against citizens, activists, and opposition figures, as well as restrictions on fundamental freedoms.

The closure marks a new point of tension in bilateral relations and comes amid growing international pressure on Cuba.

Central America

Analyst questions IACHR role over report on El Salvador emergency measures

Political analyst Óscar Martínez Peñate on Tuesday called for a review of the role currently played by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), arguing that it has undermined its credibility by hosting the presentation of a report critical of El Salvador.

Speaking during the interview program Panorama, Martínez questioned the commission’s decision to accept a report prepared by the Grupo Internacional de Expertas y Expertos para la Investigación de Violaciones de Derechos Humanos en El Salvador, which examines alleged human rights violations under the country’s state of emergency.

“We should examine what the current role of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is. How is it possible that they agree to host the presentation of a report whose premise is against a State, a government, a political system, and Salvadoran society?” Martínez said.

He added that by allowing the presentation of the report, the commission “automatically disqualifies itself.”

Martínez also questioned whether it is appropriate for the IACHR to serve as a “platform” for what he described as the defense of criminals, by treating the GIPES report as credible.

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According to the analyst, the commission is acting in a way that contradicts its mandate by enabling narratives that, in his view, go against Salvadoran society.