US sanctions Nicaragua's ministry, officials over elections

US Treasury Department on Monday imposed sanctions on public ministry of Nicaragua and nine government officials over Nov. 7 presidential elections.

In a statement, the department said between October 2020 and June 2021, the Nicaraguan National Assembly, under President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, approved six laws that facilitated the government's repression against the opposition and eliminated its chances in the November 2021 elections.

"Several officials designated in today's action were appointed to their government positions by Ortega and are key supporters of the regime and its anti-democratic policies; the officials designated today also include multiple persons implicated in violence against peaceful protestors during Nicaragua's 2018 demonstrations," said the statement.

Ortega, who has been in power since 2007, declared victory alongside his wife, Vice President Murillo, in the elections, in which the results were denounced as fraudulent by the international community.

The Treasury said Nicaragua's public ministry is designated for being responsible for or complicit in actions that undermine democratic processes and institutions in Nicaragua, which also initiated investigations or filed charges against leading presidential candidates who were detained since June during the run-up to the elections.