Rubio Expands Pressure On Nicaragua With New Sanctions On Top Official

“Nearly eight years ago, the Rosario Murillo and Daniel Ortega dictatorship unleashed a brutal wave of repression against Nicaraguans,” the State Department said in a statement. The protests left more than 325 people dead, according to U.S. figures.

The latest action follows a series of recent moves targeting Nicaragua’s leadership and economic networks

Just days earlier, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on multiple individuals and entities tied to the country’s gold sector.

U.S. officials said those networks played a role in sustaining the government’s finances while it tightened its grip on power. The sanctions were aimed at disrupting those revenue streams and increasing economic pressure on Managua.