Rubio targets Nicaraguan official over alleged torture tied to ‘brutal’Ortega regime

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the State Department, April 14, 2026.The U.S.announced sanctions against a Nicaraguan official tied to alleged human rights abuses under the Ortega-Murillo government.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The designation was made under Section 7031(c), which allows theState Departmentto bar foreign officials and their immediate family members from entering the United States due to involvement in significant corruption or human rights abuses.

The State Department has said the Ortega-Murillo government has engaged in arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings after mass protests that began in April 2018.

“Nearly eight years ago, the Rosario Murillo and Daniel Ortega dictatorship unleashed a brutal wave of repression against Nicaraguans who courageously stood against the regime’s increased tyranny, corruption and abuse,” thestatementsaid.

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The State Department said the sanction marked the anniversary of the 2018 protests, after which more than 325 protesters were murdered.

A panel of U.N.-backed human rights experts previously accused Nicaragua’s government of systematic abuses “tantamount to crimes against humanity” after an investigation into the country’s crackdown on political dissent, according to The Associated Press.

The experts said the repression intensified after mass protests in 2018 and has since expanded across large parts of society, targeting perceived opponents of the government.

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TRUMP ADMIN ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF VISA RESTRICTION POLICY IN WESTERN HEMISPHERE

Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega delivers a speech during a ceremony to mark the 199th Independence Day anniversary in Managua, Nicaragua, Sept.15, 2020. (Nicaragua’s Presidency/Cesar Perez/Handout via Reuters)

Nicaragua’s government has rejected those findings.

The designation follows a series ofrecent U.S.actionstargeting the Ortega-Murillo government.In February, the State Department sanctioned five senior Nicaraguan officials tied to repression, citing arbitrary detention, torture, killings and the targeting of clergy, media and civil society.

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Earlier this week, the department also announced sanctions on individuals and companies linked to Nicaragua’s gold sector, including two of Ortega and Murillo’s sons, accusing the regime of using the industry to generate foreign currency, launder assets and consolidate power within the ruling family.

The State Department said the move is part of ongoing efforts to hold the Nicaraguan government accountable for its actions.

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A man waves a Nicaraguan flag during a demonstration to commemorate Nicaragua’s national Day of Peace, which is celebrated in the country on April 19, and to protest against the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega in San Jose, Costa Rica, April 16, 2023.(Jose Cordero/AFP)

The Trump administration has taken an increasingly aggressive posture in the Western Hemisphere in recent months, including a Jan.3, 2026, operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leaderNicolás Maduroand his wife, Cilia Flores.

The U.S.has also carried out a series of strikes targeting suspecteddrug-trafficking vesselsin the region, part of a broader crackdown tied to regional security and narcotics enforcement efforts.

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