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 Published Monday, May 25, 2020
authorities for corruption
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The United States government sanctioned the Nicaraguan army commander and the Nicaraguan finance minister on Friday for their support for the government of President Daniel Ortega, whom they point to for corruption and violent attacks on the opposition, reported Voice of America Journal.
According to a VOA report, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control froze the properties and interests that Julio César Avilés and Iván Adolfo Acosta have in the U.S. and banned U.S. citizens from doing business with them.
"The continued violation of human rights, blatant corruption and widespread violence by the Ortega regime against the Nicaraguan people is unacceptable," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
The U.S. accuses Avilés of refusing to dismantle paramilitary forces during the April 2018 protests, which resulted in clashes and the deaths of more than 300 people.
"The army handed over weapons to the para-police forces that carried out acts of violence against the Nicaraguan people," said the Treasury in its statement.
Acosta is singled out for providing financial support to the Ortega government which has imposed dozens of sanctions on high-ranking officials, and of threatening banks to participate in an opposition-organized strike in March 2019.
In early March, the Treasury Department sanctioned the Nicaraguan police and three of its commissioners, accusing the institution of human rights violations.
Ortega has criticized Washington's policy against his government and has pointed out to the opposition to "hand over his people to the imperialists."
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that his government "will continue to apply pressure to the Ortega regime until it stops oppressing the Nicaraguan people."
Pompeo posted on his Twitter account:
"Today, we announced new sanctions on Nicaraguan Army Commander Aviles and Finance Minister Acosta. The U.S. will continue to hold accountable those who abuse Human Rights and seek to silence pro-democracy voices in Nicaragua. The Ortega regime’s repression will not stand."
Acosta has been the Minister of Finance and Public Credit of Nicaragua since February 2012. His role is to direct public finances in support of national policies. He is also a full member of the Board of the Central Bank.
Acosta is one of the leading members of the Nicaraguan presidential cabinet and is the one who coordinates the General Budget of the Republic.
A year after the anti-government protests in April 2018, Nicaragua's budget was affected and Acosta attributed it to an alleged attempt by the opposition "coup d'état", thus endorsing the executive's speech.
Acosta also threatened financial entities to join "national strikes" that were called by the private sector during the height of the protests" against President Daniel Ortega.
Acosta is a concise and inaccessible official with the Nicaraguan independent press. He has worked for the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit since 2007; holding positions of Secretary-General and vice minister of the mentioned portfolio.
General Avilés is the head of the Nicaraguan Armed Forces and one of the main key pieces of President Ortega.
He recently began his third consecutive term as head of the Nicaraguan Army, where during his speech he expressed his loyalty to the Sandinista president accused by international organizations of having committed crimes against humanity against protesters in 2018.
Avilés took over as commander-in-chief of the Army in February 2010. Under his command, the military reelection promoted by President Ortega was installed, something that generated criticism from Nicaraguan public security experts who classified the change as “atypical.”
Since his term there were serious complaints of extrajudicial executions against peasants in Nicaragua, something that was flatly denied by the institution he leads.
The most emblematic was the execution of two children in 2017 in a remote Nicaraguan community. The mother reported that the Nicaraguan Army executed the minors.
During anti-government protests, opposition groups asked him to disarm armed groups known as "paramilitaries." Avilés refused, arguing that the institution he directs has no legal basis, structure or equipment to disarm the para-police groups.
However, in the protests that began in April 2018, the para-police forces were engaged with the Police to dismantle the barricades. They were seen with military weapons such as RPG-07 rocket launchers, PKM machine guns, AK rifles -47 and the Dragunov, M-16, among others. Weapons owned by the Nicaraguan Army.
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How could the Nicaraguans depose Daniel Ortega, without having the support of the army? We would like to know your
thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
