New U.S. migratory measure after Brooklyn Rivera's death

The United States has implemented new immigration restrictions targeting more than 100 officials within Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's regime and their close relatives. This move, announced on June 8, 2026, follows the death of opposition leader Brooklyn Rivera while in state custody.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio directly linked the visa restrictions to Rivera's death. Rivera, a Miskito leader and former parliamentarian, died on May 31 at the age of 73, after being imprisoned for three years. The U.S. Department of State's official statement holds the Nicaraguan executive branch directly responsible for the decline in Rivera's health, asserting that he did not receive necessary medical attention during his detention, which began in September 2023.

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the Nicaraguan executive has direct responsibility for the deterioration of Rivera's health.

Among those identified as implicated in the alleged mistreatment is Lumberto Campbell Hooker. According to Washington, Campbell Hooker, who has previously faced U.S. sanctions, allegedly intervened to deny medical assistance to the indigenous leader and reportedly prevented Rivera's family from arranging funeral services after his death. This latest round of diplomatic sanctions increases the total number of sanctioned Nicaraguan officials and their associates by the U.S. to over 2,350 since bilateral tensions escalated.

The U.S. administration's actions are based on presidential proclamation 10309, which empowers the government to deny entry to individuals involved in repressive activities or anti-democratic acts. While Washington maintains a policy of not revealing the specific identities of those newly affected, citing visa record confidentiality, the package of measures is intended to exert pressure on the Ortega-Murillo regime. This is in response to growing international outcry over human rights violations in Nicaragua, documented by organizations such as the UN and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The U.S. reiterates its support for the Nicaraguan people seeking greater freedoms.

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Campbell Hooker... would have intervened to deny medical assistance to the indigenous leader and allegedly prevented his family from carrying out the corresponding funeral services after his death.