This archive report was first published on 17 July 2020.
On July 17, 2020, the US Treasury Department added Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega's son, Juan Carlos Ortega, to its blacklist, joining his father and mother, Vice President Rosario Murillo, and two of his brothers.
The sanctions also targeted close Ortega aide Jose Jorge Mojica and two companies run by Juan Carlos Ortega, including Difuso Comunicaciones, which the Treasury Department accused of spreading propaganda for the leftist government and engaging in money laundering.
"President Ortega and his corrupt inner circle prioritize their own power and wealth over the needs of the Nicaraguan people," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a statement.
The US has been increasing pressure on Nicaragua as part of its efforts to combat its regional allies Venezuela and Cuba.
Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega, 74, was re-elected in disputed polls in 2016 for a term that ends in 2022, but mass protests broke out in 2018 after he attempted social security reforms that would trim benefits.
At least 328 people died as security forces put down the protests, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
