Managua, Nicaragua: The United States has slapped the restrictions on visas in 50 family members directly from Nicaraguan officials who have been involved in or benefit from President Daniel Ortega’s repression, said the Department of Foreign Affairs Friday.
Officials include parliamentarians, prosecutors and judges.
Over the past two months, the Ortega Government has captured almost three dozen opposition figures, including seven potential challengers for the presidency.
Nicaragua is scheduled to hold national elections on November 7.
Ortega was looking for the fourth consecutive term and this week the government placed a candidate for opposition vice president under the arrest of the house.
“Ortega and (Vice President and Lady Rosario) Murillo once again showed that they were afraid to run against anyone they felt to win the support of the Nicaraguan people,” said the US State Department in a statement.
Among those arrested in recent weeks was the former Foreign Minister Nicaragua Francisco Aguirre Saptasa.
The 76-year-old was arrested after the border police stopped him leaving Nicaragua to enter Costa Rica.
He had planned to fly to Houston for back surgery, his two children said Friday.
Since the arrest of July 27, the family has not received information about the existence or condition.
“There is no detail, no information, we don’t know anything at all,” said Roberto Aguirre-SaCasa, one of the former diplomat’s men.
“The lawyer said he could not do anything because the case was not there,” said Georgie Aguirre Sacasa, daughter of the former diplomat.
They said their mother visited the Managua Prison known as El Chipote every day because they suspected she was there, but the name did not appear on the list of detainees.
He took food, water and medicine, but the guards only sometimes took water without ever confirming whether he was there.
Aguirre Sacasa was arrested by the police on the highway back to Managua from the Costa Rica border where the guard seized his passport.
When his wife arrived at their house, he found the police looking for it.
They seized computers and documents from Aguirre Sacasa’s home office.
The Nicaraguan authority released a statement after the arrest said he would be held for 90 days when the investigation proceeded to allegations that he had committed a crime against the Nicaraguan community.
“They said they followed the law, but if it was true he would be in the list of detainees, he could talk to us, they could visit him,” said Georgie Aguirre Sacasa.
“But no human rights are respected in Nicaragua.” Announcement of the Foreign Ministry of VISA Sanctions against 50 Nicaragua Friday followed similar actions taken against the other 100 on July 12.
The US said they were “believed to be responsible for, or were involved in, fostering democracy, or involvement in, suppression of peaceful protests or misuse of human rights, and family members directly from such people.” The Nicaraguan government did not immediately comment on new restrictions.
In the past, Ortega and Murillo maintained that the extensive protest that began in April 2018 was a coup attempt by foreign support.