Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/2127 of 9 October 2023 amending Decision (CFSP) 2019/1720 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Nicaragua
Date: 2023-10-09
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Nicaragua, economic sanctions, international sanctions, legal person, natural person




L_202302127EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series L













2023/2127


10.10.2023







            COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2023/2127
of 9 October 2023
         
amending Decision (CFSP) 2019/1720 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Nicaragua


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 29 thereof,


Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:







(1)


On 14 October 2019, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2019/1720 (1), concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Nicaragua.












(2)


Decision (CFSP) 2019/1720 applies until 15 October 2023. On the basis of a review of that Decision, the restrictive measures set out therein should be extended until 15 October 2024, and the statement of reasons for six natural persons and one entity listed in the Annex thereto should be updated.












(3)


Decision (CFSP) 2019/1720 should therefore be amended accordingly,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
Decision (CFSP) 2019/1720 is amended as follows:






(1)


Article 9 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 9
This Decision shall apply until 15 October 2024 and shall be kept under constant review. It shall be renewed, or amended as appropriate, if the Council deems that its objectives have not been met.’
;









(2)


the Annex is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision.






Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




Done at Luxembourg, 9 October 2023.


For the Council


The President

Y. DÍAZ PÉREZ
            





(1)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/1720 of 14 October 2019 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Nicaragua (OJ L 262, 15.10.2019, p. 58).




ANNEX
The Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2019/1720 is amended as follows:






(1)


Under the heading ‘A. Natural persons referred to in Articles 1(1) and 2(1)’, entries 7, 8, 11, 17, 18, and 19 are replaced by the following:









 


Name


Identifying information


Reasons


Date of listing




‘7.


Rosario María MURILLO ZAMBRANA
Alias: Rosario María MURILLO DE ORTEGA


Position(s): Vice President of the Republic of Nicaragua (since 2017). Wife of President Daniel Ortega
Date of birth: 22 June 1951
Place of birth: Managua, Nicaragua
Gender: female
Nationality: Nicaraguan
Passport number: A00000106 (Nicaragua)


Vice President of Nicaragua, First Lady of Nicaragua and a leader of the Sandinista Youth. According to President Daniel Ortega, who presents her as the de facto “co-President” of the country, Rosario María Murillo Zambrana shares half of power with him. She played an instrumental role in encouraging and justifying the repression of opposition demonstrations by the Nicaraguan National Police in 2018. In June 2021, she publicly threatened the Nicaraguan opposition and discredited independent journalists. Those threats have been repeated since then. In February 2023, Daniel Ortega revealed that Rosario María Murillo Zambrana is the instigator of new repressions, namely related to the expulsion and deprivation of citizenship of 222 political prisoners.
She is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations, for the repression of civil society and democratic opposition, and for undermining democracy in Nicaragua.


2.8.2021




8.


Gustavo Eduardo PORRAS CORTÉS


Position(s): President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Nicaragua (since January 2017)
Date of birth: 11 October 1954
Place of birth: Managua, Nicaragua
Gender: male
Nationality: Nicaraguan


President of the National Assembly of Nicaragua since January 2017 and member of the national direction of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) since 1996.
In his position as the President of the National Assembly of Nicaragua, he is responsible for promoting the adoption of several repressive legal acts, among them an amnesty law that precludes any investigation into the perpetrators of massive human rights violations in 2018, laws undermining freedom and democratic process in Nicaragua, and laws depriving the civil rights of civilians, including the Bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando José Álvarez Lagos.
He is therefore responsible for the repression of civil society, democratic opposition, representatives of the Church, as well as for seriously undermining democracy and the rule of law in Nicaragua.


2.8.2021




11.


Fidel de Jesús DOMÍNGUEZ ÁLVAREZ


Position(s): Chief of police in Leon, General Commissioner of the National Police
Date of birth: 21 March 1960
Gender: male
Nationality: Nicaraguan


In his position as Chief of police in Leon since 23 August 2018 and then General Commissioner of the National Police since September 2020, Fidel de Jesús Domínguez Alvarez is responsible for numerous serious violations of human rights, in particular arbitrary arrests and detention including the kidnapping of members of a political opponent’s family, death threats, the excessive use of force and violations of freedom of expression and freedom of the media. He is considered as one of the main figures of repression against the democratic opposition in the region of Leon.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations and the repression of civil society and democratic opposition.


2.8.2021




17.


Brenda Isabel ROCHA CHACÓN


Position(s): President of the Supreme Electoral Council
Date of birth: 10.2.1967
Place of birth: Bonanza, Nicaragua
Gender: female
Nationality: Nicaraguan


Brenda Isabel Rocha Chacón has been since May 2021 President of the Supreme Electoral Council (SEC) – a body responsible for the preparation, holding and certification of the general elections of 7 November 2021 and local elections of 6 November 2022, which, by their lack of transparency, true opposition and democratic debate, undermined democratic institutions and processes. The SEC deprived the opposition of the opportunity to stand for free elections and ensured the organisation of polls in non-democratic conditions.
She is therefore responsible for the repression of democratic opposition and for undermining democracy and the rule of law in Nicaragua.


10.1.2022




18.


Cairo Melvin AMADOR ARRIETA


Position(s): Vice-President of the Supreme Electoral Council
Date of birth: 1952
Gender: male
Nationality: Nicaraguan


Cairo Melvin Amador Arrieta has been since May 2021 the Vice-President of the Supreme Electoral Council (SEC) – a body responsible for the preparation, holding and certification of the general elections of 7 November 2021 and local elections of 6 November 2022, which, by their lack of transparency, true opposition and democratic debate, undermined democratic institutions and processes. The SEC deprived the opposition of the opportunity to stand for free elections and ensured the organisation of polls in non-democratic conditions.
He is therefore responsible for the repression of democratic opposition and for undermining democracy and the rule of law in Nicaragua.


10.1.2022




19.


Lumberto Ignacio CAMPBELL HOOKER


Position(s): Member of the Supreme Electoral Council, acting President of the Supreme Electoral Council in 2018
Date of birth: 3.12.1949
Place of birth: Raas, Nicaragua
Gender: male
Nationality: Nicaraguan
Passport number: A00001109 (Nicaragua)
ID number: 6010302490003J


Lumberto Ignacio Campbell Hooker has been since 2014 a member of the Supreme Electoral Council (SEC) – a body responsible for the preparation, holding and certification of the general elections of 7 November 2021 and local elections of 6 November 2022, which, by their lack of transparency, true opposition and democratic debate, undermined democratic institutions and processes. The SEC deprived the opposition of the opportunity to stand for free elections and ensured the organisation of polls in non-democratic conditions. His mandate as member of the SEC was renewed by the General Assembly in May 2021.
He spoke to the media during the general elections of 7 November 2021 and local elections of 6 November 2022, justifying and praising their organisation.
He is therefore responsible for the repression of democratic opposition and for undermining democracy and the rule of law in Nicaragua.


10.1.2022’














(2)


Under the heading ‘B. Legal persons, entities and bodies referred to in Article 2(1)’, entry 3 is replaced by the following:









 


Name


Identifying information


Reasons


Date of listing




‘3.


Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Postal Services


Address: Avenida Bolívar, Esquina diagonal al edifico de la Cancillería, Aptdo 2664, Managua 10000, Nicaragua
Date of registration: 12.6.1982
Website: https://www.telcor.gob.ni


The Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Postal Services (TELCOR) is the regulatory entity for telecommunications and postal services. It has been used by the Nicaraguan authorities to silence independent media, including three news organisations since 2018, during the repression of 2018 and after the general elections of 2021. During the general elections campaign, TELCOR was implementing a disinformation campaign on a large scale. As the institution in charge of the implementation of the “cybersecurity law”, TELCOR has been commanding and operating surveillance actions regarding civil society and democratic opposition. In addition, TELCOR continues its campaign of tight media control by shutting down radio stations close to the democratic opposition.
TELCOR is therefore responsible for serious violations of human rights, and the repression of civil society and democratic opposition.


10.1.2022’











ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2023/2127/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)