On Thursday, 15 June, the European Parliament once again called for European sanctions directly aimed at Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, as it had already done at the end of 2021 (see EUROPE 12855/20).
The European Parliament also reiterated its request that, on account of the fact that the Ortega regime is using the judicial system as an instrument, “judges and prosecutors [...] be swiftly included on the list of individuals sanctioned by the EU”.
Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained political prisoners, human rights defenders, members of the Catholic Church, and journalists, the European Parliament is notably asking the Ortega regime for proof that Bishop Rolando Álvarez is alive.
In addition, MEPs are urging the EU-CELAC Summit, which will be held in Brussels on 17 and 18 July, to issue a statement demanding “due respect for human rights in both regions, in particular in Nicaragua”. They are also of the opinion that, given the political circumstances in Nicaragua, the EU should trigger the democratic clause in the Association Agreement between the EU and Central America—an initiative that High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell considers counterproductive (see EUROPE 13201/7).
See the European Parliament’s resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/7ii (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)