US bans entry for 100 Nicaraguan officials over indigenous leader's death

The United States announced new visa restrictions on more than 100 Nicaraguan government officials and their relatives, holding them responsible for the death of indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. "will not overlook the responsibility of the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship in the terrible death of political prisoner Brooklyn Rivera."

The new measures expand the total number of Nicaraguan officials and family members affected by U.S. visa restrictions to over 2,350. These sanctions are due to their alleged complicity with the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.

Rivera, 73, a leader of the indigenous party Yatama, was a prominent voice from the Caribbean Coast. He was arrested in September 2023 and died in May 2026 in intensive care after being hospitalized for respiratory complications. Rubio specifically accused Lumberto Campbell Hooker, an official previously sanctioned by Washington, of being "directly involved" in denying Rivera medical care and preventing his family from burying his remains.

Rubio affirmed that the U.S. administration remains committed to holding Nicaraguan authorities accountable for alleged human rights violations, emphasizing Rivera's case. "The United States stands with the people of Nicaragua who, like Rivera, aspire to see a free Nicaragua," he concluded.

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Estados Unidos no pasará por alto la responsabilidad de la dictadura de Murillo-Ortega en la terrible muerte del preso político Brooklyn Rivera. La Administración ha tomado medidas decisivas para imponer restricciones adicionales de visado a más de 100 funcionarios de la dictadura y sus familiares