# Nicaragua adopts new law targeting regime opponents
A new law approved unanimously by the Nicaraguan Parliament on Tuesday, September 3, allows for the prosecution of regime opponents of President Daniel Ortega living outside the country’s borders, whether they are nationals or foreigners. The reform of the penal code includes penalties of up to thirty years in prison, along with possible asset confiscation, for those who promote sanctions against the government of Managua.
# Impact on individuals and organizations
The law, effective upon its publication in the Official Gazette, specifies that businesses and NGOs can also face sanctions. Pro-government deputy Maria Auxiliadora Martinez stated during the parliamentary session that the law aims to “strengthen the work of our country’s institutions in combating transnational organized crime.”
# Opposition’s view and international concerns
Critics of the regime, primarily in exile in Costa Rica, the United States, and Spain, argue that the law legalizes President Ortega’s “repressive” practices. Exiled former presidential candidate Felix Maradiaga explained to Agence France-Presse that the law allows the regime to prosecute individuals worldwide, even if not present in Nicaragua or at their trial. He alleges that Ortega seeks to silence opposition globally.
# Human rights situation and international response
The law’s adoption coincided with a UN warning about the “serious” deterioration of human rights in Nicaragua since last year, marked by increased arbitrary detentions and persecutions of perceived dissidents by the government. Following allegations of “treason,” over 300 politicians, journalists, intellectuals, and activists critical of the government were released last year, expelled, and stripped of their nationality and assets. Ortega, who rose to power in 2007 after governing in the 1980s post-Sandinista revolution triumph, has faced criticism for establishing an authoritarian regime in the seven-million-inhabitant Central American country.
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# Background on Ortega’s regime and opposition response
In 2018, three months of protests against his government were violently suppressed, resulting in over 300 casualties, hundreds of detentions, and the exile of thousands, per the UN. Despite his controversial reelection amid international criticism, Ortega continues to face opposition from both domestic and international actors. The situation in Nicaragua remains a topic of concern for the global community, with ongoing debates regarding human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
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