[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 52 (Thursday, March 17, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15299-15300]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05589]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 11680]


Update on Report to Congress Pursuant to Section 353(d)(1)(A) of 
the United States--Northern Triangle Enhanced Engagement Act

ACTION: Notice of report.

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SUMMARY: This document, submitted to the Congress on March 9, 2022, 
provides an update to the State Department's report to Congress 
regarding persons in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua: 
Foreign persons determined to have knowingly engaged in actions that 
undermine democratic processes or institutions; foreign persons 
determined to have knowingly engaged in significant corruption; and 
foreign persons determined to have knowingly engaged in obstruction of 
investigations into such acts of corruption, including the following: 
Corruption related to government contracts; bribery and extortion; the 
facilitation or transfer of the proceeds of corruption, including 
through money laundering; and acts of violence, harassment, or 
intimidation directed at governmental and nongovernmental corruption 
investigators. On November 10, 2021, the President signed the 
Reinforcing Nicaragua's Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform 
(RENACER) Act adding Nicaragua to the countries whose citizens are 
subject to the Section 353 Corrupt and Undemocratic Actors list.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Update to Report to Congress on Foreign Persons who have Knowingly 
Engaged in Actions that Undermine Democratic Processes or Institutions, 
Significant Corruption, or Obstruction of Such Corruption in El 
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, Pursuant to Section 
353(b) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related 
Programs Appropriations Act, 2021 (Div. FF, Pub. L. 116-260, as 
amended) Consistent with Section 353(b) of the United States--Northern 
Triangle Enhanced Engagement Act (Div. FF, Pub. L. 116-260) (the Act), 
as amended, this report update is being submitted to the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, House Committee 
on the Judiciary, and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
    Section 353(b) requires the submission of a report that identifies 
the following persons in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and 
Nicaragua: (1) Foreign persons determined to have knowingly engaged in 
actions that undermine democratic processes or institutions; (2) 
foreign persons determined to have knowingly engaged in significant 
corruption; and (3) foreign persons determined to have knowingly 
engaged in obstruction of investigations into such acts of corruption, 
including the following: Corruption related to government contracts; 
bribery and extortion; the facilitation or transfer of the proceeds of 
corruption, including through money laundering; and acts of violence, 
harassment, or intimidation directed at governmental and 
nongovernmental corruption investigators. On November 10, 2021, the 
President signed the Reinforcing Nicaragua's Adherence to Conditions 
for Electoral Reform (RENACER) Act, adding Nicaragua to the countries 
whose citizens are subject to Section 353.
    Under Section 353, foreign persons identified under the Act are 
generally ineligible for visas and admission to the United States. 
Section 353 further requires that foreign persons identified under the 
Act shall have their visas revoked immediately and any other valid visa 
or entry documentation cancelled. Consistent with Section 353(g), this 
report update will be published in the Federal Register.
    This report update includes individuals for whom the Department is 
aware of credible information or allegations of the conduct at issue, 
from media reporting and other sources. The Department will continue to 
review the individuals listed in the report and consider all available 
tools to deter and disrupt corrupt and undemocratic activity in El 
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The Department also 
continues to actively review additional credible information and 
allegations concerning corruption or undemocratic activity and to 
utilize

[[Page 15300]]

all applicable authorities, as appropriate, to ensure corrupt or 
undemocratic officials are denied safe haven in the United States. In 
light of the new statutory authority provided by RENACER, this update 
to the report identifies individuals in Nicaragua specifically who have 
knowingly engaged in actions that undermine democratic processes or 
institutions.

Nicaragua

    Cairo Melvin Amador, current Vice President of the Supreme 
Electoral Council (CSE), undermined democratic processes or 
institutions by conspiring with the Ortega-Murillo regime to undermine 
Nicaragua's political institutions and subvert the November 2021 
national election by disqualifying legitimate opposition parties and 
candidates on spurious grounds.
    Lumberto Ignacio Campbell Hooker, current member of CSE and Acting 
President of the CSE from 2018 until May 2021, undermined democratic 
processes or institutions by conspiring with the Ortega-Murillo regime 
to undermine Nicaragua's political institutions and subvert the 
November 2021 national election by disqualifying legitimate opposition 
parties and candidates on spurious grounds.
    Edwin Ramon Castro Rivera, member of the Nicaraguan National 
Assembly since 1997 and head of the FSLN caucus since 2007, undermined 
democratic processes or institutions by ensuring Ortega-Murillo 
loyalists won all magistrate positions in the CSE and ensuring the 
passage of extremely broad legislation that the Ortega-Murillo regime 
used to exclude opposition candidates and parties and harass and jail 
political opponents.
    Karen Vanessa Chavarria Morales, current judge in the ninth 
district in Managua, undermined democratic processes or institutions by 
abusing her authority and subverting legal processes to take action 
against political opponents of the Ortega-Murillo regime and disqualify 
opposition candidates from the November 2021 election.
    Walmaro Antonio Gutierrez Mercado, current member of the Nicaraguan 
National Assembly, undermined democratic processes or institutions by 
giving the Ortega-Murillo regime the tools to conduct its brazen 
assault on democracy by stacking the CSE with FSLN members loyal to 
Ortega and by helping ensure the passage of extremely broad legislation 
that the regime used to exclude opposition candidates and parties and 
harass and jail political opponents.
    Carlos Wilfredo Navarro Moreira, current member of the Nicaraguan 
National Assembly, undermined democratic processes or institutions by 
giving the Ortega-Murillo regime the tools to conduct a brazen assault 
on democracy by stacking the CSE with FSLN members loyal to Ortega and 
by helping ensure the passage of extremely broad legislation that the 
regime has used to exclude opposition candidates and parties and harass 
and jail political opponents.
    Maria Haydee Osuna Ruiz, current member of the Nicaraguan National 
Assembly, undermined democratic processes or institutions by conspiring 
with the Ortega-Murillo regime to subvert the November 2021 Nicaraguan 
national elections by signing a spurious complaint that served as 
pretext for the government to disqualify the last remaining legitimate 
opposition party and hound its leader into exile.
    Gustavo Eduardo Porras Cortes, current President of the Nicaraguan 
National Assembly, undermined democratic processes or institutions by 
giving the Ortega-Murillo regime the tools to conduct its brazen 
assault on democracy by stacking the CSE with Sandinista members loyal 
to Ortega and by helping ensure the passage of extremely broad 
legislation that the Ortega-Murillo regime used to exclude opposition 
candidates and parties and harass and jail political opponents.
    Brenda Isabel Rocha Chacon, current President of the CSE, 
undermined democratic processes or institutions by conspiring with the 
Ortega-Murillo regime to undermine Nicaragua's political institutions 
and subvert the November 2021 national election by disqualifying 
legitimate opposition parties and candidates on spurious grounds.

    Dated: March 8, 2022.
Brian P. McKeon,
Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources.
[FR Doc. 2022-05589 Filed 3-16-22; 8:45 am]
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