Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act of 2018

Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act of 2018

This bill directs the President to impose sanctions against persons responsible for violence and human rights abuses in Nicaragua.

The President shall transmit to Congress a list of persons who:

• transfer goods or technologies that are likely to be used to commit serious rights abuses in Nicaragua to the government of Nicaragua or to any Nicaraguan entity or national, or
• provide services with respect to such goods or technologies after their transfer to Nicaragua.

The President shall impose asset-blocking and U.S. exclusion sanctions against any person, including a current or former official of the government of Nicaragua or a person acting on behalf of such government, who:

• perpetrated or is responsible for acts of violence or human rights abuses against individuals participating in protests in Nicaragua that began on April 18, 2018;
• ordered the arrest or prosecution of a person primarily because of the person's exercise of freedom of expression or assembly in relation to such protests;
• knowingly assisted or provided significant financial, material, or technological support for such acts;
• engaged in censorship against individuals or media outlets disseminating information related to such protests;
• is responsible for acts of significant corruption; or
• is associated with conducting business with Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. or its subsidiary in Nicaragua, Alba de Nicaragua S.A.