IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 754 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States 

should continue to support the people of Nicaragua in their peaceful 

efforts to promote democracy and human rights, and use the tools 

under United States law to increase political and financial pressure 

on the government of Daniel Ortega. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 9, 2019 

Mr. SIRES (for himself, Mr. ROONEY of Florida, Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL, Mr. 

PHILLIPS, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. COSTA, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. 

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. YOHO, Mr. GUEST, Mr. DIAZBALART, Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N of Puerto Rico, and Mr. SMITH of New 

Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the United States should continue to support the people 

of Nicaragua in their peaceful efforts to promote democracy and human rights, and use the tools under United 

States law to increase political and financial pressure 

on the government of Daniel Ortega. 

Whereas the government of Daniel Ortega has concentrated 

power and brought about the progressive deterioration of 

democratic conditions in Nicaragua; 


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•HRES 754 IH 

Whereas recent elections in Nicaragua, including the 2016 

Presidential elections, have been marred by irregularities 

and characterized by significant restrictions on the participation of opposition parties and the absence of credible international and local electoral observers; 

Whereas Nicaraguan security forces, parapolice, and other 

actors working under the direction of the Ortega regime 

committed gross violations of human rights and acts of 

repression, resulting in more than 325 deaths, over 2,000 

injuries, and at least 800 arbitrary detentions during the 

peaceful protests that took place in 2018, according to 

the Organization of American States; 

Whereas a report by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts, appointed by the Organization of American States Inter-American Commission on Human 

Rights, determined that the Ortega regime used deliberate, lethal force against protesters and committed acts 

of torture that meet the international legal standard of 

crimes against humanity; 

Whereas an estimated 62,000 Nicaraguans fled the country 

between April 2018 and April 2019, according to the 

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; 

Whereas the Ortega government reneged on its commitment 

to release all political prisoners by releasing just 392 people, of which 286 were released to house arrest with 

charges still pending, while the Civic Alliance for Justice 

and Democracy alleges that there remain over 150 political prisoners as of November 29, 2019; 

Whereas a United States citizen and Navy veteran, 57-yearold Eddy Montes, was shot and killed while in the cusVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:50 Dec 10, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR754.IH HR754

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•HRES 754 IH 

tody of the Nicaraguan police at La Modelo Prison on 

May 16, 2019; 

Whereas the government of Daniel Ortega has severely restricted freedom of the press by closing five local television stations, attacking independent radio stations, arbitrarily detaining journalists, and illegally restricting 

print supplies from entering the country; 

Whereas the Ortega regime has violated the economic and political rights protections of indigenous communities, rural 

campesinos, land rights defenders, and those living in the 

Caribbean Autonomous Regions of Nicaragua; 

Whereas, on November 27, 2018, Executive Order 13851 was 

issued, which blocks the property of certain persons contributing to the situation in Nicaragua, and its application was expanded on September 4, 2019; 

Whereas the Departments of State and the Treasury have 

imposed targeted sanctions on nine Nicaraguan officials, 

including First Lady and Vice President Rosario Murillo 

and Daniel Ortega’s son, Laureano Ortega, as well as 

Nicaragua’s Banco Corporativo (Bancorp); 

Whereas the bipartisan Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality 

Act (NICA Act), was signed into law on December 20, 

2018, allowing the Department of the Treasury to sanction non-United States persons implicated in egregious 

human rights abuses and corruption in Nicaragua; 

Whereas, in June 2019, Canada imposed sanctions on 12 

members of the Nicaraguan Government engaged in 

gross and systemic human rights violations; 

Whereas the Ortega government has not complied with efforts of the commission appointed by the Permanent 


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•HRES 754 IH 

Council of the Organization of American States seeking 

a peaceful resolution to the social and political crisis; 

Whereas, on September 15, 2019, the Ortega government denied entry into the country to an official Organization of 

American States delegation mission; and 

Whereas, beginning on November 14, 2019, Nicaraguan police conducted attacks on churches throughout the country, cut water to hunger strikers barricaded inside a 

church in Masaya, and arrested 13 people attempting to 

bring them water: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) calls on the Nicaraguan Government to im3 mediately release all political prisoners without con4 ditions and cease all acts of violence, repression, and 

5 intimidation against dissenting voices in Nicaragua; 

6 (2) condemns the Nicaraguan Government’s 

7 continued failure to comply with agreements made 

8 with the Organization of American States; 

9 (3) urges the Ortega government to respect 

10 Nicaraguans’ constitutional rights and implement 

11 electoral reforms including free, fair, multiparty elec12 tions open to international observers, in compliance 

13 with the agreement reached through negotiations 

14 with the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy 

15 and the Blue and White National Unity (UNAB) in 

16 March 2019; 


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•HRES 754 IH 

1 (4) expresses full support for the people of 

2 Nicaragua, Nicaraguan independent media, and Nic3 araguan civil society organizations that are working 

4 for a peaceful return to democratic order in Nica5 ragua; 

6 (5) recognizes and supports efforts of the 

7 United States Government to promote democracy in 

8 Nicaragua and hold corrupt actors and human 

9 rights abusers in the Nicaraguan Government ac10 countable for their actions; 

11 (6) urges the United States Government to con12 tinue to apply pressure on the Ortega government 

13 and consider additional sanctions against those Nic14 araguan officials who have violated the human rights 

15 of their citizens or committed acts of significant cor16 ruption; and 

17 (7) urges the international community to hold 

18 the Ortega government accountable for human 

19 rights abuses, including attacks on religious free20 dom, and restrict its access to foreign financing un21 less or until it allows for free, fair, and prompt elec22 tions monitored by credible international and local 

23 electoral observers. 

Æ 


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