Salazar and Smith Introduce Bill to Strengthen NICA Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairwoman María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Human Rights Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced the Restoring Sovereignty and Human Rights in Nicaragua Act.

The bill reauthorizes the sanctions imposed in the Nicaragua Investment Conditionality Act (NICA) of 2018 and Chairwoman Salazar’s Reinforcing Nicaragua’s Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform (RENACER) Act of 2021 in light of the Ortega regime’s cruel persecution of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua.

“The satanic regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has targeted the last organization that stands against them in Nicaragua; the Catholic Church. The Sandinistas have thrown priests in jail, shut down the Jesuit Central American University and have even banned praying for Bishop Álvarez,” said Chairwoman Salazar. “I am proud to co-lead a bill that would protect human rights in the country and re-impose sanction on the satanic Ortega/Murillo regime.”

Since December 20th, Nicaraguan police have detained a total number of 14 priests and two seminarians, as well as Bishop Isidoro del Carmen Mora—whose location and wellbeing remains unknown. Bishop Álvarez, who was detained on August 19, 2022, has been unjustly imprisoned by Ortega for more than 500 days. Just this week the Nicaraguan Congress banned praying for imprisoned Bishop Rolando Álvarez.

The Smith-Salazar legislation comes after the two lawmakers co-chaired joint subcommittee hearings in March and November of 2023 that included heart-wrenching testimony from political prisoners and prisoners of conscience who suffered Ortega’s persecution before being exiled from their homeland.

Among its provisions, the Restoring Sovereignty and Human Rights in Nicaragua Act of 2024 would:

• Impose strong economic sanctions targeting the Ortega-Murillo regime in response to its crackdown on the Catholic Church and political prisoners in Nicaragua;
• Enhance sanctions on sectors of the Nicaraguan economy that generate revenue for the Ortega family;
• Review Nicaragua’s participation in the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, known as CAFTA-DR; 
• Prohibit new United States investment in Nicaragua;
• Require the Biden Administration to implement a coordinated diplomatic strategy to restrict investments and loans that benefit the Government of Nicaragua; and
• Renew and strengthen the Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act of 2018 and the Reinforcing Nicaragua’s Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform (RENACER) Act of 2021.

“The United States needs to step up and act quickly to implement all the tools at our disposal to bring an end to Ortega’s horrific abuses against innocent people of faith and political prisoners in Nicaragua,” said Chairman Smith. “Our sanctions bill will impose robust and targeted economic penalties to combat the Ortega-Murillo regime’s continued and escalating persecution of the Catholic Church and religious freedom as well as its oppression of political prisoners.”

As Chairwoman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Rep. Salazar is dedicated to the restoration of civil and religious liberties in Nicaragua. She co-authored the RENACER Act with former Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) which passed into law in 2021 and introduced other crucial anti-Ortega legislation like the Nicaragua Political Prisoner Support Act. Congresswoman Salazar represents tens of thousands of Nicaraguan Americans in Florida’s 27th congressional district.

To read the full text of the bill, click here

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