Trump Administration Enforces Sanctions Sen. Cruz Called For Against the Ortega Regime

HOUSTON, Texas - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement after the Trump administration announced sanctions against the Nicaraguan National Police (NNP), as well as three NNP commissioners, for their involvement in serious human rights abuses. This announcement comes as a result of Sen. Cruz's Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act (NICA) and Executive Order 13851.

"The Nicaraguan National Police has operated with impunity, violating the basic freedoms of the Nicaraguan people as an arm of Ortega's corrupt and brutal regime," Sen. Cruz said. "I'm grateful the administration will hold these thugs accountable. Senator Menendez and I have long called for sanctions against the NNP, specifically the named NNP commissioners. This is a welcome step forward, and I will continue to work with my colleagues and the administration to apply consistent pressure on the regime until meaningful reforms are made."

This week, Sen. Cruz led a resolution urging the administration to use existing sanctions authorities to increase pressure on the Nicaraguan regime.

In July 2019, Sens. Cruz and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) sent a letter to Secretary Pompeo identifying a series of Nicaraguan government officials, including two of the NPP commissioners sanctioned today, Luis Alberto Perez Olivas and Justo Pastor Urbina, for the administration to impose sanctions pursuant to the NICA Act.

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