The United States government has imposed visa restrictions on more than 100 Nicaraguan officials and their relatives in response to the death of an Indigenous activist detained in the country. The decision was announced by the U.S. State Department on June 8, following the recent passing of Brooklyn Rivera, a prominent leader of the Miskito people and former Nicaraguan congressman.

Rivera, who was 73 years old, was arrested in September 2023 under the administration of President Daniel Ortega, whose government has faced accusations of authoritarian practices. Authorities did not publicly disclose the basis for Rivera’s detention. On May 31, the Nicaraguan health ministry confirmed his death, attributing it to complications from a bacterial infection linked to the Covid-19 virus.

The State Department’s visa restrictions aim to hold the Nicaraguan government accountable for what Washington describes as an ongoing pattern of repression against opposition figures and human rights defenders. Officials targeted by the sanctions include members of the Nicaraguan police, intelligence services, and other state institutions allegedly involved in political persecution.

The government of Nicaragua has not issued an official response to the U.S. announcement. Supporters of President Ortega’s administration maintain that the measures represent interference in the country’s sovereign judicial processes.

The U.S. action follows heightened international concern over Nicaragua’s political climate, particularly the treatment of activists, opposition leaders, and Indigenous groups. Washington has previously imposed sanctions targeting senior Nicaraguan officials over human rights abuses and electoral irregularities.

Rivera’s death has drawn condemnation from human rights groups and Indigenous organizations, who describe his detention and subsequent medical neglect as emblematic of the Ortega government’s crackdown on dissent. Brooklyn Rivera was widely respected for his leadership within the Miskito community and his advocacy for Indigenous rights in Nicaragua.