US imposes restrictions on 100 Nicaraguan officials after activist’s death – Haiti Gazette – Daily Haiti News
US Imposes New Sanctions on Nicaraguan Officials After Death of Indigenous Leader
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has increased its sanctions on Nicaraguan officials following the death of Indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera while in government custody. In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the circumstances of Rivera’s death as “horrific”.
Circumstances of Rivera’s Death
Rivera, 73, had been held in government custody since September 2023, with little to no contact with the outside world. His sudden death last week came shortly after the Nicaraguan government released photos of him bedridden and intubated in a medical facility. Those photos prompted outcry from the international community, as well as Rivera’s family, who demanded access to the imprisoned activist, as well as proof of his welfare.
US Response to Rivera’s Death
“Today the Trump Administration took decisive steps to impose additional visa restrictions on more than 100 dictatorship officials and their family members,” Rubio said. “With this new set of restrictions, the US government has now taken steps to impose visa restrictions on over 2,350 Nicaraguan officials and their family members for their complicit role in Rosario Murillo and Daniel Ortega’s dictatorship.” The US government has long criticized Nicaragua for its human rights record, but that scrutiny has increased in the wake of Rivera’s death.
Background on Brooklyn Rivera
Rivera was a representative for the Miskito, an Afro-Indigenous people who live along the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua and Honduras. For much of his career as a politician and activist, Rivera clashed with Ortega’s Sandinista movement. Starting in the late 1970s, he fought the first Sandinista government as part of the Misurasata armed group, prompting him to go into exile.
Human Rights Abuses in Nicaragua
The Murillo-Ortega government has long faced criticism for its treatment of perceived dissidents, who have faced imprisonment, forced exile, and the removal of their citizenship. Successive US administrations have criticized Nicaragua for its human rights record. The government has also moved to restrict the activities of nonprofits, church groups, and media outlets, forcing many to shutter. In a 2025 report, the nonprofit Human Rights Watch estimated that nearly 5,600 non-governmental organisations have been forced to close their doors since 2018, limiting oversight of government activities.
International Outcry and Call for Action
A group of United Nations experts described Rivera’s death as part of a “broader pattern of violations against Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples” in Nicaragua. It called for an independent autopsy to determine the cause of Rivera’s death, as well as the return of the activist’s remains to his family. The US government has reiterated its support for human rights activists in Nicaragua, with Rubio stating, “The United States stands with the Nicaraguan people who, like Rivera, aspire to see a free Nicaragua.”
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