In a resolution adopted by a show of hands on Thursday 13 February, the European Parliament called on the European Union to add Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to the list of people subject to European sanctions, as well as his wife, Rosario Murillo, who was appointed Nicaraguan Co-President in January.
The European Parliament also calls on the Member States to open investigations, via the International Criminal Court, into the Ortega-Murillo regime for crimes against humanity.
Denouncing the repeated violations of human rights and the imprisonment of political opponents in the Central American country, the MEPs reiterate their request to make use of the democracy clause in the association agreement between the EU and Nicaragua.
MEPs also call on the EU to “introduce specific guarantees of respect for human rights when allocating EU funding, in particular through multilateral and financial institutions”, so that these funds do not contribute to strengthening the Nicaraguan regime.
The EU sanctions against 21 dignitaries of the Ortega-Murillo regime run until 15 October (see EUROPE 13499/37).
See the European Parliament resolution (in French, English available): https://aeur.eu/f/fh7 (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)