I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2946 
To advance the strategic alignment of United States diplomatic tools toward 
the realization of free, fair, and transparent elections in Nicaragua and 
to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to protect the funda-
mental freedoms and human rights of the people of Nicaragua, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 30, 2021 
Mr. SIRES (for himself, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. GREEN of Tennessee, Ms. 
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. 
SOTO, Mr. VARGAS, and Mr. DEUTCH) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition 
to the Committees on Financial Services, and the Judiciary, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To advance the strategic alignment of United States diplo-
matic tools toward the realization of free, fair, and trans-
parent elections in Nicaragua and to reaffirm the com-
mitment of the United States to protect the fundamental 
freedoms and human rights of the people of Nicaragua, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Reinforcing Nicaragua’s Adherence to Conditions for 
Electoral Reform Act of 2021’’ or the ‘‘RENACER Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. Sense of Congress. 
Sec. 4. Restrictions on international financial institutions relating to Nicaragua. 
Sec. 5. Targeted sanctions to advance democratic elections. 
Sec. 6. Developing and implementing a coordinated sanctions strategy with dip-
lomatic partners. 
Sec. 7. Inclusion of Nicaragua in list of countries subject to certain sanctions 
relating to corruption. 
Sec. 8. Classified report on the involvement of Ortega family members and Nic-
araguan government officials in corruption. 
Sec. 9. Classified report on the activities of the Russian Federation in Nica-
ragua. 
Sec. 10. Report on human rights abuses in the interior of Nicaragua. 
Sec. 11. Supporting independent news media and freedom of information in 
Nicaragua. 
Sec. 12. Amendment to short title of Public Law 115–335. 
Sec. 13. Definition. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Adopted by the Organization of American 
States (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘OAS’’) on Oc-
tober 21, 2020, the Resolution Restoring Democratic 
Institutions and Respect for Human Rights in Nica-
ragua Through Free and Fair Elections (in this sec-
tion referred to as the ‘‘OAS Resolution’’) reiterated 
hemispheric concern that the government of Presi-
dent Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua has failed to re-
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lease all political prisoners and implement agreed- 
upon measures to ensure freedom of expression. 
(2) The OAS Resolution called on the Ortega 
government to accept the deployment of domestic 
and international electoral observation missions and 
outlined a need for timely, inclusive negotiations to 
achieve meaningful electoral reforms, including the 
modernization of the Supreme Electoral Council, the 
revitalization of a pluralistic political process, and an 
independent audit of Nicaraguan voter rolls. 
(3) A November 19, 2019, report from the OAS 
High Level Commission on Nicaragua noted the Or-
tega government had engaged in significant efforts 
since April 2018 to curtail the fundamental rights of 
the citizens of Nicaragua, including repeated acts of 
police intimidation and at least 325 murders, which 
were predominately committed by government secu-
rity forces. 
(4) On April 21, 2018, Nicaraguan journalist 
A´ngel Gahona was killed while broadcasting live on 
social protests in the country. Since April 2018, the 
Ortega government has increased its harassment of 
independent media, which includes December 2019 
police raids of the digital newspaper Confidencial 
and the 100% Noticias news channel, and a Sep-
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tember 2020 court-ordered seizure of assets belong-
ing to independent broadcaster Nicavision Canal 12. 
(5) Since 2007, family members of President 
Daniel Ortega and their political allies have pur-
chased over a dozen TV channels, radio stations, 
and online news sites in Nicaragua, including Canal 
4, 8, and 13, Radio Nicaragua, and El 19 Digital, 
to increase pro-government media coverage and si-
lence media coverage critical of the government. 
(6) Sandinista National Liberation Front mem-
bers of the National Assembly of Nicaragua, with 
support from the Ortega government, recently ap-
proved legislation to obstruct citizen mobilization 
and codify the persecution of political opponents, in-
cluding— 
(A) the Foreign Agents Regulation Law on 
October 15, 2020, which requires civil society, 
nongovernmental organizations, and citizens 
who receive funds originating from abroad to 
register as ‘‘foreign agents’’, and bars them 
from engaging in domestic political activity; 
(B) the Special Cybercrimes Law on Octo-
ber 27, 2020, which established prison sen-
tences for individuals who spread information 
online that the Government of Nicaragua deems 
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to be false or construes to cause alarm, terror, 
or unease in the public; 
(C) the Self-Determination Law on Decem-
ber 21, 2020, which provides President Ortega 
with the authority to unilaterally declare citi-
zens ‘‘terrorists’’ or ‘‘traitors to the homeland’’ 
for opposing his rule and ban them from run-
ning for public office, effectively preventing any 
individuals who supported the 2018 protests 
from being candidates; and 
(D) the reform to the Consumer Protection 
Law on February 4, 2021, which provides the 
Government of Nicaragua the authority to man-
date Nicaraguan commercial banks to overturn 
and ignore sanctions imposed by the United 
States with respect to persons on the list of 
specifically designated national and blocked per-
sons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets 
Control of the Department of the Treasury. 
(7) According to preliminary reports of the 
Government of Nicaragua, Hurricanes Eta and Iota, 
which made landfall in Nicaragua on November 3 
and November 16, 2020, respectively, affected more 
than 3,000,000 individuals and resulted in an eco-
nomic loss in excess of $742,000,000. Indigenous 
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Miskito and Mayangna communities situated in the 
North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region bore the 
brunt of the devastation, with at least 23 indigenous 
territories and upwards of 147,000 indigenous in-
habitants directly impacted by the weather phe-
nomena. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) ongoing efforts by the government of Presi-
dent Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua to suppress the 
voice and actions of civil society, political opponents, 
and independent news media violate the fundamental 
freedoms and basic human rights of the people of 
Nicaragua; 
(2) Congress unequivocally condemns the pas-
sage of the Foreign Agents Regulation Law, the 
Special Cybercrimes Law, and the Self-Determina-
tion Law by the National Assembly of Nicaragua, 
which represent clear attempts by the Ortega gov-
ernment to curtail the fundamental freedoms and 
basic human rights of the people of Nicaragua; 
(3) Congress recognizes that free, fair, and 
transparent elections predicated on robust reform 
measures and the presence of domestic and inter-
national observers represent the best opportunity for 
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the people of Nicaragua to restore democracy and 
reach a peaceful solution to the political and social 
crisis in Nicaragua; 
(4) the United States should align the use of 
diplomatic engagement and all other foreign policy 
tools, including the use of targeted sanctions, in sup-
port of efforts by democratic political actors and 
civil society in Nicaragua to advance the necessary 
conditions for free, fair, and transparent elections in 
Nicaragua; 
(5) the United States, in order to maximize the 
effectiveness of efforts described in paragraph (4), 
should— 
(A) coordinate with diplomatic partners, 
including the Government of Canada, the Euro-
pean Union, and partners in Latin America and 
the Caribbean; and 
(B) advance diplomatic initiatives in con-
sultation with the OAS and the United Nations; 
and 
(6) pursuant to section 6(b) of the Nicaragua 
Investment Conditionality Act of 2018, the Presi-
dent should waive the application of restrictions 
under section 4 of that Act and the sanctions under 
section 5 of that Act if the Secretary of State cer-
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tifies that the Government of Nicaragua is taking 
the steps identified in section 6(a) of that Act, in-
cluding taking steps to ‘‘to hold free and fair elec-
tions overseen by credible domestic and international 
observers’’. 
SEC. 4. RESTRICTIONS ON INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL IN-
STITUTIONS RELATING TO NICARAGUA. 
Section 4 of the Nicaragua Investment Conditionality 
Act of 2018 is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (a), (b), and 
(c) as subsections (b), (c), and (d), respectively; 
(2) by inserting before subsection (b), as redes-
ignated by paragraph (1), the following: 
‘‘(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the Secretary of the Treasury should take all 
possible steps, including through the full implementation 
of the exceptions set forth in subsection (c), to ensure that 
the restrictions required under subsection (b) do not nega-
tively impact the basic human needs of the people of Nica-
ragua.’’; 
(3) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection 
(b)’’; and 
(4) by striking subsection (d), as so redesig-
nated, and inserting the following: 
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‘‘(d) INCREASED OVERSIGHT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The United States Execu-
tive Director at each international financial institu-
tion of the World Bank Group, the United States 
Executive Director at the Inter-American Develop-
ment Bank, and the United States Executive Direc-
tor at each other international financial institution, 
including the International Monetary Fund, shall 
take all practicable steps to increase scrutiny of any 
loan or financial or technical assistance provided for 
a project in Nicaragua to ensure that the loan or as-
sistance is being used for the intended purposes. 
‘‘(2) MECHANISMS
FOR
INCREASED
SCRU-
TINY.—The United States Executive Director at 
each international financial institution described in 
paragraph (1) shall use the voice, vote, and influence 
of the United States to encourage that institution to 
develop oversight mechanisms for new and existing 
loans or financial or technical assistance provided 
for a project in Nicaragua to ensure that such loans 
and assistance are being used for the intended pur-
poses. 
‘‘(e) INTERAGENCY CONSULTATION.—Before imple-
menting the restrictions described in subsection (b), or be-
fore exercising an exception under subsection (c), the Sec-
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retary of the Treasury shall consult with the Secretary of 
State and with the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development to ensure that all 
loans and financial or technical assistance to Nicaragua 
are consistent with United States foreign policy objectives 
as defined in section 3. 
‘‘(f) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of the RENACER Act, and annu-
ally thereafter until the termination date specified in sec-
tion 10, the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination 
with the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development, shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a re-
port on the implementation of this section, which shall in-
clude— 
‘‘(1) summary of any loans and financial and 
technical assistance provided by international finan-
cial institutions for projects in Nicaragua; 
‘‘(2) a description of the implementation of the 
restrictions described in subsection (b); 
‘‘(3) an identification of the occasions in which 
the exceptions under subsection (c) are exercised 
and an assessment of how the loan or assistance 
provided with each such exception may address basic 
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human needs or promote democracy in Nicaragua; 
and 
‘‘(4) a description of the results of the in-
creased oversight conducted under subsection (d).’’. 
SEC. 5. TARGETED SANCTIONS TO ADVANCE DEMOCRATIC 
ELECTIONS. 
(a) COORDINATED STRATEGY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State and 
the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with 
the intelligence community (as defined in section 3 
of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
3003)), shall develop and implement a coordinated 
strategy to align diplomatic engagement efforts with 
the implementation of targeted sanctions in order to 
support efforts to facilitate the necessary conditions 
for free, fair, and transparent elections in Nica-
ragua. 
(2) BRIEFING REQUIRED.—Not later than 60 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
every 60 days thereafter until December 31, 2021, 
the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the 
Treasury shall brief the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives on steps to 
be taken by the United States Government to de-
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velop and implement the coordinated strategy re-
quired by paragraph (1). 
(b) TARGETED SANCTIONS PRIORITIZATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Pursuant to the coordinated 
strategy required by subsection (a), the President 
shall prioritize the implementation of the targeted 
sanctions required under section 5 of the Nicaragua 
Investment Conditionality Act of 2018 with respect 
to foreign persons directly or indirectly obstructing 
the establishment of conditions necessary for the re-
alization of free, fair, and transparent elections in 
Nicaragua. 
(2) TARGETS.—In carrying out paragraph (1), 
the President shall specifically target foreign persons 
involved in directly or indirectly obstructing the es-
tablishment of conditions described in that para-
graph, including— 
(A) officials in the government of Presi-
dent Daniel Ortega; 
(B) family members of President Daniel 
Ortega; 
(C) members of the National Nicaraguan 
Police; 
(D) members of the Nicaraguan Armed 
Forces; 
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(E) members of the Supreme Electoral 
Council of Nicaragua; 
(F) party members and elected officials 
from the Sandinista National Liberation Front 
and their family members; 
(G) individuals or entities affiliated with 
businesses engaged in corrupt financial trans-
actions with officials in the government of 
President Daniel Ortega, his party, or his fam-
ily; and 
(H) individuals identified in the report re-
quired by section 8 as involved in significant 
acts of public corruption in Nicaragua. 
SEC. 6. DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A COORDINATED 
SANCTIONS STRATEGY WITH DIPLOMATIC 
PARTNERS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) On June 21, 2019, the Government of Can-
ada, pursuant to its Special Economic Measures Act, 
designated 9 officials of the Government of Nica-
ragua for the imposition of sanctions in response to 
gross and systematic human rights violations in 
Nicaragua. 
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(2) On May 4, 2020, the European Union im-
posed sanctions with respect to 6 officials of the 
Government of Nicaragua identified as responsible 
for serious human rights violations and for the re-
pression of civil society and democratic opposition in 
Nicaragua. 
(3) On October 12, 2020, the European Union 
extended its authority to impose restrictive measures 
on ‘‘persons and entities responsible for serious 
human rights violations or abuses or for the repres-
sion of civil society and democratic opposition in 
Nicaragua, as well as persons and entities whose ac-
tions, policies or activities otherwise undermine de-
mocracy and the rule of law in Nicaragua, and per-
sons associated with them’’. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the United States should encourage the Govern-
ment of Canada, the European Union and governments 
of members countries of the European Union, and govern-
ments of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean 
to use targeted sanctions with respect to persons involved 
in human rights violations and the obstruction of free, 
fair, and transparent elections in Nicaragua. 
(c) COORDINATING INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS.— 
The Secretary of State, working through the head of the 
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Office of Sanctions Coordination established by section 
1(h) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(h)), and in consultation with the 
Secretary of the Treasury, shall engage in diplomatic ef-
forts with governments of countries that are partners of 
the United States, including the Government of Canada, 
governments of countries in the European Union, and gov-
ernments of countries in Latin America and the Carib-
bean, to impose targeted sanctions with respect to the per-
sons described in section 5(b) in order to advance demo-
cratic elections in Nicaragua. 
(d) BRIEFING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 60 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 
60 days thereafter until December 31, 2021, the Secretary 
of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treas-
ury, shall brief the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
House of Representatives on the implementation of this 
section. 
SEC. 7. INCLUSION OF NICARAGUA IN LIST OF COUNTRIES 
SUBJECT TO CERTAIN SANCTIONS RELATING 
TO CORRUPTION. 
Section 353 of title III of division FF of the Consoli-
dated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116–260) is 
amended— 
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(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘AND 
HONDURAS’’ and inserting ‘‘, HONDURAS, AND 
NICARAGUA’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘and Honduras’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘, Honduras, and Nicaragua’’. 
SEC. 8. CLASSIFIED REPORT ON THE INVOLVEMENT OF OR-
TEGA FAMILY MEMBERS AND NICARAGUAN 
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN CORRUPTION. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of State, acting through the Bureau of Intelligence and 
Research of the Department of State, and in coordination 
with the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit a 
classified report to the appropriate congressional commit-
tees on significant acts of public corruption in Nicaragua 
that— 
(1) involve— 
(A) the President of Nicaragua, Daniel Or-
tega; 
(B) members of the family of Daniel Or-
tega; and 
(C) senior officials of the Ortega govern-
ment, including— 
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(i) members of the Supreme Electoral 
Council, the Nicaraguan Armed Forces, 
and the National Nicaraguan Police; and 
(ii) elected officials from the Sandi-
nista National Liberation Front party; 
(2) pose challenges for United States national 
security and regional stability; 
(3) impede the realization of free, fair, and 
transparent elections in Nicaragua; and 
(4) infringe upon the fundamental freedoms of 
civil society and political opponents in Nicaragua. 
(b) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 
In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 
the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; 
and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
House of Representatives. 
SEC. 9. CLASSIFIED REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE 
RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN NICARAGUA. 
The Secretary of State shall include in the classified 
report required by section 8 a separate section on activities 
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of the Government of the Russian Federation in Nica-
ragua, including— 
(1) cooperation between Russian and Nica-
raguan military personnel, intelligence services, secu-
rity forces, and private Russian security contractors; 
(2) cooperation related to telecommunications 
and satellite navigation; 
(3) other political and economic cooperation; 
and 
(4) the threats and risks that such activities 
pose to United States national interests and national 
security. 
SEC. 10. REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN THE INTE-
RIOR OF NICARAGUA. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that, since the June 
2018 initiation of ‘‘Operation Clean-up’’, an effort of the 
government of Daniel Ortega to dismantle barricades con-
structed throughout Nicaragua during social demonstra-
tions in April 2018, the Ortega government has increased 
its abuse of campesinos and members of indigenous com-
munities, including arbitrary detentions, torture, and sex-
ual violence as a form of intimidation. 
(b) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
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