20/11/2019 (Agence Europe) – The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, on Wednesday 20 November, described the arrest of Nicaraguans and the siege of a church where hunger strikers had taken refuge by the police as an “infringement against the fundamental rights of Nicaraguan citizens”. This is a serious “setback” that sends a “negative signal” about the willingness of the government to work towards a peaceful and democratic way out of the crisis, she added in a statement. “Those who undermine democracy and the rule of law in Nicaragua shall be held accountable”, she said. In mid-October, the EU adopted a framework that could lead to targeted sanctions (freezing of assets, inadmissibility) against persons and entities close to the Ortega regime (see EUROPE 12348/3). (MB)