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Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation to strategically align the United States’ diplomatic tools, including targeted sanctions, to advance democratic elections in Nicaragua in November 2021.
The Reinforcing Nicaragua’s Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform (RENACER) Act proposes new initiatives to address corruption by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s government and family, as well as human rights abuses perpetrated by Nicaraguan security forces. The RENACER Act also requires the U.S. government to increase sanctions coordination with Canada and the European Union, as well as bolster intelligence reporting on Russian activities in Nicaragua.
Joining Menendez and Rubio in introducing this bill were Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Chris Murphy (D-CT).
Rubio is the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues.
Menendez is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
“As the corrupt Ortega regime continues to undermine democratic order and basic liberties, the U.S. must align our diplomatic efforts to the existing targeted sanctions against regime officials,” Rubio said. “As the regime plans to hold elections, we must ensure the U.S. and our allies are creating new initiatives to address Ortega’s corruption, human rights abuses, and the ongoing repression of members of the independent press.”
“The RENACER Act makes clear that the United States will not tolerate the rise of another dictator in our hemisphere. This new legislation fully aligns U.S. diplomacy and sanctions towards one goal — democratic elections in Nicaragua in November 2021,” Menendez said. “As the Ortega regime’s human rights abuses, kleptocracy, and attacks on the free press continue unabated, this bill places the U.S. Senate firmly on the side of the Nicaraguan people as they seek to exercise their most fundamental democratic rights later this year.”
“Nicaragua’s continued democratic decline — including new laws that obstruct citizen engagement and codify the persecution of political opponents — is alarming,” Kaine said. “The United States and the international community should boost efforts to ensure that the people of Nicaragua can freely express their opinions, engage in peaceful political activity, and participate in free and fair elections in November 2021.”
“It is long overdue for Latin American autocrats like President Ortega to stop enriching themselves and their inner circle of corrupt enablers on the backs of their people and instead restore democratic norms,” Durbin said. “I’m proud to join with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to condemn President Ortega’s and Nicaraguan security officials’ actions and call on them to commit to a credible election later this year and a peaceful resolution of Nicaragua’s political crisis which they helped create.”
“We must continue to press for a return to democracy and support free, fair, and transparent elections in Nicaragua,” Cardin said. “I am proud to support this bill that would take additional steps to hold the Ortega government accountable for its many acts of repression and corruption that continue to harm the Nicaragua people. The United States must always stand up for democracy and human rights throughout the Western Hemisphere.”
“Since his re-election in 2016, President Ortega has driven the country away from democracy while the Nicaraguan people have paid the price,” Murphy said. “As the Biden administration works to put human rights and democracy at the center of U.S. foreign policy, the RENACER Act allows us to coordinate the existing, targeted sanctions on Nicaraguan officials with our allies and help advance free and fair elections there later this year. This legislation strengthens our ability to reverse corruption, human rights abuses and limits on a free press in Nicaragua.”
The RENACER Act includes the following elements:
Expands oversight of international financial institutions’ lending to Nicaragua and reaffirms the existing statutory waiver for humanitarian projects;
Aligns U.S. diplomacy and targeted sanctions to promote democratic elections;
Requires sanctions coordination with Canada and the European Union;
Adds Nicaragua to the list of Central American countries subject to corruption-related visa restrictions;
Requires classified reporting on corruption perpetrated by President Ortega’s government and family, as well as Russian government activities in Nicaragua; and
Requires reporting on human rights abuses committed by Nicaraguan security forces in rural and indigenous communities.
RUBIO SE UNE A MENÉNDEZ Y COLEGAS INTRODUCIENDO LEY PARA PROMOVER ELECCIONES DEMOCRÁTICAS EN NICARAGUA
Washington, D.C. — El senador estadounidense Marco Rubio (R-FL) se unió al senador Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) y colegas en la introducción de una ley bipartidista para alinear estratégicamente las herramientas diplomáticas de Estados Unidos, incluidas las sanciones selectivas, para promover elecciones democráticas en Nicaragua en noviembre del 2021.
Titulado el Proyecto de Ley para Reforzar el Cumplimiento de Condiciones para la Reforma Electoral en Nicaragua (RENACER, por sus siglas en inglés), la legislación propone nuevas iniciativas para abordar la corrupción del regimen del Presidente Daniel Ortega y la de su familia, así como los abusos contra los derechos humanos cometidos por las fuerzas de seguridad nicaragüenses. El Proyecto de Ley RENACER también requiere que el gobierno estadounidense aumente sanciones coordinadas con los gobiernos de Canadá y la Unión Europea, y fortifique los informes de inteligencia sobre las actividades rusas en Nicaragua.
Junto a Menéndez y Rubio en la introducción de esta ley estuvieron los Senadores Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Ben Cardin (D-MD).
Rubio es el Miembro de Más Alto Rango del Subcomité sobre Hemisferio Occidental, Crimen Transnacional, Seguridad Civil, Democracia, Derechos Humanos y Asuntos Globales de la Mujer.
Menéndez es el Presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores.
“Mientras el régimen corrupto de Ortega continúa socavando el orden democrático y las libertades básicas, EE.UU. debe alinear sus esfuerzos diplomáticos con las sanciones específicas existentes contra los funcionarios del régimen”, Rubio dijo. “A medida que el régimen planea convocar a elecciones, debemos asegurarnos que EE.UU. y nuestros aliados están creando nuevas iniciativas para abordar la corrupción de Ortega, los abusos a los derechos humanos y la represión continua a miembros de la prensa independiente”.
“El Proyecto de Ley RENACER deja sumamente claro que los Estados Unidos no tolerará el surgimiento de otro dictador en nuestro hemisferio. Esta nueva propuesta alinea completamente la diplomacia y las sanciones estadounidenses hacia un objetivo singular – permitir elecciones democráticas en Nicaragua este noviembre de 2021”, Menéndez dijo. “Mientras que el régimen de Ortega continúa abusando de los derechos humanos del pueblo nicaragüense, permitiendo la cleptocracia desenfrenada y atacando la libertad de prensa, este proyecto es una declaración de solidaridad de parte del Senado de los Estados Unidos, quien sigue firmemente del lado del pueblo nicaragüense en su lucha para poder ejercer sus derechos democráticos más fundaménteles a finales de este año”.
El Proyecto de Ley RENACER incluye los siguientes elementos:
Expande la supervisión de los préstamos de las instituciones financieras internacionales a Nicaragua y reafirma la exención legal existente para proyectos humanitarios;
Alinea la diplomacia estadounidense y las sanciones selectivas para promover elecciones democráticas;
Requiere coordinación de sanciones con los gobiernos de Canadá y la Unión Europea;
Agrega a Nicaragua a la lista de países centroamericanos sujetos a restricciones de visas relacionadas con la corrupción;
Requiere informes clasificados sobre la corrupción perpetrada por el gobierno del Presidente Ortega y su familia, al igual que las actividades rusas en Nicaragua; y
Requiere informes sobre los abusos de derechos humanos cometidos por las fuerzas de seguridad nicaragüenses en comunidades rurales e indígenas.