The United States Trade Representative, led by Katherine Tai, has announced an investigation into Nicaragua’s government for alleged violations of labor rights, human rights, and the rule of law. This decision follows reports of politically motivated arrests and extrajudicial killings under President Daniel Ortega’s administration.
Tai criticized these actions as harmful to workers, economic growth, and regional stability. The move aligns with the Biden administration’s commitment to a “worker-centered trade policy” and was strategically announced near International Human Rights Day to highlight its significance.
President Ortega’s government has faced increasing US scrutiny and sanctions for human rights abuses. These include stripping dissidents of their citizenship and property to silence opposition. Ortega, a key figure in the 1979 Nicaraguan revolution, has a contentious history with the US.
Initially a revolutionary against a US-backed dictatorship, Ortega has become an authoritarian leader, consolidating power since his return to the presidency in 2007. Recent constitutional amendments in Nicaragua have further increased his control over governmental, regional, and media institutions.
US Launches Trade Investigation into Nicaragua Amid Human Rights and Labor Violations
Criticism of Ortega’s regime extends beyond the US, with human rights groups documenting systemic violence and oppression. A recent report by the Nicaragua Never Again Human Rights Collective revealed that at least 229 political prisoners have endured crimes against humanity, including torture, since protests against the government began in 2018.
The regime’s harsh response to those demonstrations, which opposed tax increases and cuts to social security, resulted in over 355 deaths and nearly 2,090 arrests within five years.
The documented torture methods are shocking and varied, including beatings, sexual violence, and death threats. Other reported abuses involve electric shocks, extended isolation, and the forced removal of teeth and fingernails.
These findings emphasize the Ortega government’s brutal measures to suppress dissent, drawing condemnation from domestic and international observers. The US investigation into Nicaragua’s practices under the Trade Act of 1974 signals further action against these human rights violations.
The announcement underscores the Biden administration’s broader strategy to promote human rights and fair trade practices internationally. By leveraging trade policy, the US aims to hold Ortega’s regime accountable and mitigate the broader destabilizing effects of his authoritarian rule.
This investigation adds to existing measures, including sanctions, in pressuring the Nicaraguan government while reaffirming the US commitment to regional stability and human rights advocacy.
