US removes visas from 100 Nicaraguan officials 0:48
(CNN Spanish) -
Canada announced on Wednesday the imposition of individual sanctions against 15 high-ranking officials of the Government of President Daniel Ortega, including the president's daughter, Camila Antonia Ortega Murillo, in response to what they consider to be human rights violations. ongoing in Nicaragua that began in 2018, according to the Foreign Ministry.
"The Nicaraguan Government has refused to implement significant reforms to ensure that its people can have free and fair elections in November 2021," says a statement signed by Marc Garneau, Canadian Foreign Minister.
Instead, the Canadian minister said, the government "has stepped up its attacks on civil and political rights and has arbitrarily arrested more than 20 leading opposition figures and potential presidential candidates since June 2021."
Nicaragua is not acting for free and fair elections, says Blinken
In the statement, Canada calls for "the immediate release of political candidates arrested, imprisoned or arbitrarily detained, as well as the release of all political prisoners and an end to the arrest and harassment of independent media and actors in society. civil".
Lawyer rules out Nicaragua's free election 5:52
Among those sanctioned by Canada are the high-ranking police officers Ramón Antonio Avellán, Luis Alberto Pérez Olivas, Justo Pastor Urbina, Juan Antonio Valle Valle and Fidel De Jesús Domínguez Alvárez; the Attorney General of the Republic, Ana Julia Guido; the magistrate of the Supreme Electoral Council Lumberto Ignacio Campbell; the Minister of Finance, Iván Adolfo Acosta Montalván; José Jorge Mojica Mejía; the magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice Marvin Ramiro Aguilar García; Sandinista deputies Wálmaro Antonio Gutiérrez Mercado and Edwin Ramón Castro Rivera; Camila Antonia Ortega Murillo, daughter of President Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo; the president of the Central Bank of Nicaragua, Leonardo Ovidio Reyes Ramírez; Julio Modesto Rodríguez Balladares,Brigadier general and director of the Institute of Military Social Welfare of the Nicaraguan Army.
The sanctioned persons are prohibited from any transaction in Canada.
This involves freezing their assets by prohibiting people in Canada and Canadians outside the country from engaging in any activity related to any property owned by these people or from providing financial or similar services to them.
Individuals on the list of regulations are also declared inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
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IACHR: Opponents have the right to be candidates 6:57
The Nicaraguan government has not officially reacted to these measures announced by Canada.
CNN requested a response from the Council for Communication and Citizenship, but we are still waiting for it.
Ortega's attitude towards international sanctions
The sanctions previously imposed by the United States, Canada and the European Union on more than 20 Nicaraguan officials have been considered by President Daniel Ortega as attacks on national sovereignty.
"We are respectful, we do not interfere with any country to criticize, opine if what they are doing is right or wrong. Ah, but they use them for what? To launch against Nicaragua and ask for more sanctions, there they are on their knees asking for sanctions against the Yankee empire, begging for sanctions against the Yankee empire, they think that with sanctions they will subdue Nicaragua, "President Ortega said on national television on June 23.
Daniel Ortega speaks on TV about detained opponents 3:12
During that act, Ortega said that the more than 20 opponents arrested in June were part of a network of "criminals" who channeled funds to organize another coup like the one in 2018. This is how he responded to requests from the Organization of American States and United Nations, who also requested the release of the 6 presidential candidates detained under investigation for alleged actions against national sovereignty.
Other Canadian sanctions on Nicaragua
On June 21, 2019, Canada had sanctioned nine high-ranking officials of the Government of Nicaragua.
Among them were Vice President Rosario Murillo Zambrana; the secretary of the mayor of Managua, Fidel Moreno; the president of the Nicaraguan National Assembly, Gustavo Porras; the Minister of Health, Sonia Castro; the Nicaraguan investment advisor and son of the presidential couple, Laureano Ortega; the head of the National Police, Francisco Díaz; the executive president of the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Orlando José Castillo; the Minister of Transportation, Óscar Mojica, and the presidential security adviser, Néstor Moncada Lau.