Biden bans Nicaragua officials from entering United States

President Joe Biden banned Nicaragua government officials from entering the United States as he issued a broad proclamation in response to an election that Washington has denounced as rigged in favor of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega.

Biden suspended entry for all members of the Ortega government and other elected officials, including mayors, along with the spouses and children of those banned.

The move comes after Ortega won re-election along with his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, after banning many opposition parties, jailing leading opposition figures and cracking down on independent media.

Biden criticized the election as rigged and undemocratic and called Ortega, who has been in power since 2007, an autocrat.

In his proclamation announcing the ban, Biden repeated his claims that Ortega’s government was dangerous, “The repressive and abusive acts of the Ortega government and those who support it compel the United States to act.

“The Ortega government’s undemocratic, authoritarian actions have crippled the electoral process and stripped away the right of Nicaraguan citizens to choose their leaders in free and fair elections.”

Biden signed legislation on Nov. 10 that imposed sanctions on Nicaragua by restricting multilateral bank lending. The legislation also included new initiatives to monitor corruption in the Central American country.

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Kamila/Reuters