Nicaragua / Ortega Sanctions Extended

As Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega continues his four decade devolution  from radical chic hero of the revolution to Somoza-style latin despot, the Biden Administration renewed the Trump-era  restrictions on travel and property ownership by Ortega and his cadre.

Friday 17 November, the White House released the following statement:

The situation in Nicaragua, including the violent response by the Government of Nicaragua to the protests that began on April 18, 2018, and the Ortega-Murillo regime's continued systematic dismantling and undermining of democratic institutions and the rule of law, its use of indiscriminate violence and repressive tactics against civilians, as well as its corruption leading to the destabilization of Nicaragua's economy, continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.

"For this reason, I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13851 with respect to the situation in Nicaragua.   [88 FR 80549]

As of 2022, Nicaragua's GDP per capita was approximately  $2,380 according to IMF estimates​​​​. Nicaragua remains the second-poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.