Responding to the Murillo-Ortega Dictatorship’s Legislative Sham

Yesterday, Rosario Murillo and Daniel Ortega’s captive National Assembly eroded the fiction of Nicaragua’s democracy, again rewriting the nation’s constitution to entrench their illegitimate dynasty and indefinitely deprive Nicaraguans of free and fair elections.

Dictatorships that deny the unalienable rights of their citizens should not enjoy the same economic or political benefits as governments committed to defending hemispheric peace and security. The United States urges international partners to immediately stop business as usual operations with this brutal dictatorship.

Murillo and Ortega’s war on democracy threatens our hemisphere’s stability and prosperity. The Trump Administration remains committed to identifying and implementing actions to address the Murillo-Ortega’s violations of human rights, including at forums like the Organization of American States. We stand in support of Nicaraguans’ right to decide their country’s future.