[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 25, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H7194-H7197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONDEMNING THE VIOLENCE, PERSECUTION, INTIMIDATION, AND MURDERS 
     COMMITTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF NICARAGUA AGAINST ITS CITIZENS

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 981) condemning the violence, 
persecution, intimidation, and murders committed by the Government of 
Nicaragua against its citizens, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows

                              H. Res. 981

       Whereas Daniel Ortega has taken systematic steps to weaken 
     democratic institutions in Nicaragua since 2006, including by 
     manipulating the Nicaraguan Constitution through actions such 
     as eliminating presidential term limits;
       Whereas Daniel Ortega selected his wife, Rosario Murillo, 
     as his vice-presidential candidate in 2016;
       Whereas domestic and international observers have 
     repeatedly documented and criticized irregularities in the 
     2011 and 2016 presidential elections as well as the 2012 and 
     2017 municipal elections in Nicaragua;
       Whereas, on April 18, 2018, students in Nicaragua began to 
     protest the unilateral decision of the Government of 
     Nicaragua to impose reforms on the Nicaraguan Social Security 
     Institute;
       Whereas the protests were met with a violent and brutal 
     response from the Nicaraguan National Police, subsequently 
     resulting in a widespread call by the Nicaraguan

[[Page H7195]]

     people for freedom, democracy, electoral reforms, and respect 
     for human rights;
       Whereas since April 18, 2018, the Nicaraguan government, 
     the Nicaraguan National Police, or militias controlled by the 
     Nicaraguan government have been responsible for escalating 
     violence, committing murders, and many cases of torture and 
     disappearances;
       Whereas to block the dissemination of reports of violence 
     and repression committed against peaceful protesters, the 
     Nicaraguan government shut down the signal of media stations 
     throughout Nicaragua;
       Whereas according to press reports, the Nicaraguan 
     government has denied basic medical care to and attempted to 
     poison the food and water of those protesting oppression 
     under the Ortega administration;
       Whereas, on the night of April 20, 2018, a pro-government 
     mob set fire to the offices of independent radio station 
     Radio Dario in the city of Leon;
       Whereas, on April 20, 2018, Ambassador Michael Kozak, the 
     Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of 
     Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the Department of 
     State, said, ``Nicaragua is going in the wrong direction on 
     many fronts and that is one of them, of media freedom. But 
     also on all the basics, I mean, it's a long litany of 
     torture, extrajudicial killing, the elections were a sham . . 
     . the Ortega government has basically shut down a lot of the 
     opposition, a lot of the independent civil society 
     organizations as well as the free media'';
       Whereas, on April 21, 2018, Nicaraguan journalist Angel 
     Gahona was shot and killed by pro-government security forces 
     while broadcasting live on Facebook;
       Whereas, on April 21, 2018, the Department of State issued 
     a travel advisory for Nicaragua and since then has continued 
     to advise travelers to reconsider travel to Nicaragua due to 
     ongoing violence;
       Whereas, on April 22, 2018, the Department of State issued 
     a statement that ``we condemn the violence and the excessive 
     force used by police and others against civilians who are 
     exercising their constitutional right to freedom of 
     expression and assembly'';
       Whereas, on April 23, 2018, the Department of State ordered 
     the departure of family members accompanying United States 
     Government personnel in Nicaragua and also authorized the 
     departure of such personnel;
       Whereas, on Mother's Day in Nicaragua, May 31, 2018, press 
     reports stated that peaceful marches to support the mothers 
     of the victims of the earlier protests encountered violence 
     from ``the repressive police and shock forces'', leaving 15 
     dead and nearly 200 injured in the cities of Managua, Esteli 
     and Masaya;
       Whereas, on May 31, 2018, the Department of State issued a 
     statement saying that ``those individuals responsible for 
     human rights violations will be held accountable by the 
     international community in international fora'' in response 
     to the violence during the Mother's Day protests;
       Whereas, on June 4, 2018, Secretary Pompeo, participating 
     in the Organization of American States General Assembly in 
     the District of Columbia, stated, ``In Nicaragua police and 
     government-controlled armed groups have killed dozens, merely 
     for peacefully protesting'';
       Whereas, on June 7, 2018, the Department of State announced 
     visa restrictions against individuals involved in human 
     rights abuses or undermining democracy in Nicaragua;
       Whereas, on June 20, 2018, the Department of State 
     announced, ``The United States condemns the ongoing 
     government-sponsored violence and intimidation campaign in 
     Nicaragua, including the June 16 arson attack against the 
     home and business of a family in Managua, killing six, and 
     the further intimidation of the family during the wake'';
       Whereas a report from the Asociacion Nicaraguense Pro 
     Derechos Humanos (Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights) 
     states that as of June 25, 2018, at least 285 people have 
     been killed, over 1,500 people have been injured, and 156 
     people continue to be disappeared;
       Whereas the Catholic Church has played an important role 
     serving as a mediator between protesters and the Government 
     of Nicaragua, and Catholic bishops and priests have risked 
     their lives trying to prevent more massacres; and
       Whereas the United States House of Representatives has 
     sought to reestablish democracy and the rule of law in 
     Nicaragua by passing H.R. 1918, the Nicaraguan Investment 
     Conditionality Act, on October 3, 2017, by unanimous consent: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) condemns the violence, persecution, intimidation, and 
     murders of peaceful protesters by the Government of 
     Nicaragua;
       (2) supports the people of Nicaragua in their pursuit for 
     democracy, including their call for free and fair elections 
     overseen by credible domestic and international observers;
       (3) urges the international community to stand in 
     solidarity with the people of Nicaragua;
       (4) calls on the United States to continue to condemn the 
     atrocities in Nicaragua, demand the release of individuals 
     wrongfully detained, and identify those individuals whose 
     involvement in this violence qualifies for the imposition of 
     sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights 
     Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of the National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016; 22 U.S.C. 
     2656 note); and
       (5) affirms that--
       (A) the rights to freedom of assembly, association, and 
     expression, the freedom of the press, and freedom from 
     extrajudicial detention and violence, are universal human 
     rights that apply to all persons; and
       (B) countries that fail to respect these rights jeopardize 
     the security and prosperity of all of their citizens.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would really like to begin by thanking our Foreign 
Affairs chairman emeritus, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and I do also want to 
thank my other colleagues on the committee. I also thank Albio Sires 
for his work on this measure, along with Colonel Cook. I think it is 
very timely. It is very important.
  I think, for those whose families have experienced what it is like 
under a totalitarian system, there is a special identification with 
what the victims are going through right now as a result of the 
authoritarian bent, right now, of President Daniel Ortega, the same 
Daniel Ortega we remember from 1979. But he lost an election, I think 
it was, in 1990. He has had five terms.
  But in consolidating his power, he has moved to an authoritarian 
approach in tightening that grip where he has now resorted to using 
brutal force against the students on their campuses if they protest; 
brutal force against the people who seek refuge in the churches, 
shooting up the churches, something that Congressman Juan Vargas was 
talking to me about the other day; brutal force in the villages against 
those who protest, creating a situation with hundreds and hundreds of 
deaths and thousands of injuries.
  I can just tell you personally, I have a constituent and friend in 
the district, and she is from one of those villages. She saw me and 
gave me a little letter the other day about the fate of some of her 
neighbors who died at the hands of one of these attacks in the 
villages. They were murdered there on the streets of her small village.
  I think the reason that this resolution represents such a broad, 
bipartisan consensus in this condemnation of Ortega's regime is because 
of the nature of that violence. What this resolution does is support 
the people of Nicaragua in their pursuit of freedom.
  Nicaraguans, understandably, want self-determination. They want an 
end to corruption. They are asking for free and fair elections. The 
international community--in particular, the Organization of American 
States regional leaders--must continue to stand with these brave 
students and church leaders and villagers who are being targeted and 
being assassinated by thugs working on behalf of and at the behest of 
Daniel Ortega.
  When we think about this circumstance and other authoritarian 
leaders, one of the allies of Daniel Ortega is Nicolas Maduro. He uses 
these same tactics against the Venezuelan people, and the people 
deserve better than this.
  This resolution shows this body's commitment to standing shoulder to 
shoulder with those without a voice, seeking freedom from those 
authoritarians who are becoming dictators.
  The administration was correct earlier this month in sanctioning 
three senior Nicaraguan officials for human rights abuses and 
corruption under the U.S. Global Magnitsky Act, a measure that we 
passed out of our committee, and that is something that this resolution 
affirms. But more can still be done.
  This resolution encourages the administration to continue to pressure 
Ortega to stop the violence and to move forward with free and fair 
elections.

[[Page H7196]]

  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.
  In response to Ortega's brutal crackdown on peaceful protests and 
human rights violations, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 981, 
condemning the violence, persecution, and intimidation committed by the 
Government of Nicaragua against its citizens.
  As we know, the Nicaraguan people are suffering as the Ortega 
government continues to punish citizens for pursuing greater democratic 
rights. Since Ortega came into power, he has worked hard to consolidate 
power in the hands of his family and party loyalists at the expense of 
Nicaraguan citizens.
  The peaceful protests that began in April initially opposed the 
proposed government reform to social security. However, as Ortega 
ordered violent crackdowns by government security forces, the 
demonstrations gradually became a call for a more democratic Nicaragua.
  The Catholic Church has attempted numerous times to mediate dialogue 
between Ortega and opposition groups, but the Ortega regime has 
repeatedly failed to uphold its end of the agreement. We are seeing new 
reports every week on how Ortega's paramilitary forces are opening fire 
against sanctuaries and shooting and injuring people seeking refuge in 
churches across the country. It is shameful. As negotiations over 
dialogue have devolved, hundreds of Nicaraguan citizens are estimated 
to have been killed, with thousands more injured.
  Recently, international observers from the Inter-American Commission 
on Human Rights, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and the 
European Union have arrived in Nicaragua to begin investigating the 
violence. Now, many Nicaraguans are demanding political reform and the 
resignation of Ortega and his wife before the scheduled elections in 
2021.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States cannot stand idly by and ignore the 
demands of the Nicaraguan people while the Ortegas and his confidants 
push the country towards authoritarianism. That is why my colleagues, 
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Member Engel, Chairman Cook, and I 
have introduced this bipartisan resolution condemning the ongoing 
violence in Nicaragua. We are urging the administration to impose 
sanctions on individuals who qualify under the Global Magnitsky Human 
Rights Accountability Act.

  I have also worked with my friend Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to pass the 
Nicaragua Investment Conditionality Act, to hold the regime accountable 
for its misuse of international loans. This bill would direct the U.S. 
to not support international loans to Nicaragua until the government 
increases transparency and has free and fair elections.
  Unified pushback from the international community shows the 
courageous Nicaraguans on the ground that the world stands shoulder to 
shoulder with them. It is the only way for Ortega to see the writing on 
the wall. He has to give up his grip and enact long overdue and 
meaningful political reform that people are yearning for.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member 
Engel for their continued bipartisanship on these important issues. I 
urge my colleagues to support the resolution, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the chairman emeritus of 
the Foreign Affairs Committee and the author of this resolution.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce for his 
amazing leadership and also Ranking Member Engel. They brought this 
important and timely resolution to the floor, and I am so grateful to 
have worked not only with Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel, but 
also with Chairman Cook and Ranking Member Sires of the Western 
Hemisphere Subcommittee.
  All of us introduced H. Res. 981, and this resolution, as Mr. Sires 
and Mr. Royce have pointed out, condemns the persecution; it condemns 
the intimidation, the violence, and the murders that are being 
committed by the Government of Nicaragua against its citizens under the 
orders of Daniel Ortega.
  Mr. Speaker, 450, that is how many Nicaraguans have been killed by 
Ortega's regime and its thugs just since April of this year. Heaven 
knows how many today or how many just these past days. The death toll 
is rising every day. And as the regime has now authorized a shoot-to-
kill policy in cities like Masaya and Jinotega, shoot to kill against 
dissidents, against protesters, and add that to the thousands who have 
been injured, arrested, and forced disappearances, we are talking about 
a massive and severe repression by a regime that will do anything to 
stay in power. That is what this is all about. Ortega and his wife want 
to stay in power at all costs.
  On Monday, Daniel Ortega had the nerve, the audacity, to go on our 
news channel, FOX News, American TV, to say that everything was under 
control in Nicaragua and that it was, in fact, the Nicaraguan people 
who were committing the acts of violence, that the Nicaraguan people 
are the ones responsible for the bloodshed. It is a desperate attempt 
by a desperate but dangerous fool.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a dire situation, and it is getting worse by the 
day. That is why we need to hold Ortega accountable for his evil and 
violent acts and put additional pressure on his regime.
  The administration has shown great leadership in condemning Ortega 
and in sanctioning some of his regime's top officials under the Global 
Magnitsky Act.

                              {time}  1330

  My resolution urges the administration to do more, to target more of 
Ortega's goons for sanctions, and to urge this very body to do more, 
because time is of the essence.
  The measure before us is simple and straightforward. It rightfully 
identifies Ortega, not the Nicaraguan people, as the orchestrator of 
the violence. It urges the administration to take more action against 
the regime. It also demonstrates our unwavering support for the people 
of Nicaragua in their support for democracy and their pursuit of 
justice. It includes the call for early, free, fair, and transparent 
elections overseen by domestic and international observers.
  This resolution also calls upon responsible nations to stand in 
solidarity with the people of Nicaragua, because their silence has been 
deafening.
  Today, this body is standing up for some of the most cherished values 
and ideals that we hold true to our hearts, and we are unequivocally 
rejecting the Ortega regime's abuses and its corruption. Today, we can 
send a strong, unified, and clear message that we are watching; we are 
acting; and we are supporting the aspirations of all freedom-loving 
Nicaraguans.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from 
Florida an additional 1 minute.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, in my congressional district, I am so 
blessed to have so many Nicaraguan Americans. In fact, one of them is 
right here behind me, Gaby Boffelli, who is very proud of her 
Nicaraguan heritage, and she keeps me abreast of what is happening in 
Nicaragua every day.
  My constituents tell me they are heartbroken about the situation. 
They are heartbroken because people don't seem to be paying attention. 
But they know that the United States Congress is standing with them. 
Today, with this vote, we will stand ever so strongly with them.
  Ortega is receiving help, as the chairman pointed out, from 
Venezuela's Maduro, from Castro in Cuba, and from Diaz-Canel in Cuba. 
These thugs know how to repress and kill dissidents.
  Let's do the right thing. Let's not stand with the oppressors. Let's 
stand with the people of Nicaragua.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for 
the purpose of closing.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.
  In response to Ortega's brutal crackdown on peaceful protests and 
human rights violations, H. Res. 981 condemns the violence, 
persecution, and intimidation committed by the Government of Nicaragua 
against its citizens.
  The Nicaragua National Police, or militias, controlled by the 
Nicaraguan

[[Page H7197]]

Government have murdered, detained, and tortured innocent people 
peacefully standing up for their rights. Stories of Nicaraguan 
protesters being electrocuted and waterboarded by gangs aligned with 
the Ortega regime continue to horrify the international community.
  While the Ortegas may condemn foreign interference in their affairs, 
let us be clear: The United States condemns the violence, the 
persecution, the intimidation, and the murders of peaceful protesters 
by the Ortega security forces and his henchmen.
  We support the people of Nicaragua in their pursuit for democracy, 
including their call for free and fair elections overseen by credible 
domestic and international observers, and we demand that Nicaragua 
release those individuals wrongfully detained by the government.
  Again, I want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Foreign 
Affairs Committee, Ed Royce and Eliot Engel. I want to take this 
opportunity to thank Ed Royce for his last 3 years of bipartisan work. 
I want to tell the gentleman that I really appreciate being on his 
committee and serving with him on this committee. I thank the gentleman 
for his service.
  I also want to thank both my good friend Eliot Engel as well, who is 
my counterpart on the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, and Chairman 
Paul Cook for their strong bipartisan leadership.
  I also want to thank my good friend from Florida, Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen, whom I have worked with and admired for many, many years, for 
her decades of unwavering dedication to promoting democracy and human 
rights around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I urge all Members to do the 
same.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I shared with this body the letter from my constituent 
and neighbor outlining what had happened to her village where she had 
grown up and how she had lost friends at the hands of a gang allied 
with Daniel Ortega quite recently who attacked the village. So I want 
to thank Albio Sires, Chairman Emeritus Ros-Lehtinen, and others who 
worked on this resolution for bringing this bipartisan measure forward.
  I want to thank them for their continued leadership. Because of the 
continued attacks on demonstrators in Nicaragua, the shooting up of 
churches, and the threatening of priests there, hundreds of protesters 
have been murdered, and thousands more have been injured. This is 
unacceptable.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, it is imperative that this body, and our 
friends and allies across the region, continue to call on Daniel Ortega 
to end the violence and to allow free and fair elections in Nicaragua.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. 
Res. 981, and to condemn the Ortega regime's escalating, brutal 
campaign against its own people.
  Ortega has now been in charge of Nicaragua for 22 of the last 39 
years. After years of consolidating power by installing his wife as 
vice president, and gradually chipping away at the power of the 
judiciary and congress, Ortega has now dropped all pretense of being 
anything other than an authoritarian leader.
  More than 300 people have now died in Nicaragua for having the 
courage to speak out against his and his wife's dictatorial rule. 
Ortega has now shown himself willing to target members of the clergy 
for fulfilling their sacred duty to recognize the value of human life, 
and for putting themselves in harm's way to try to protect their 
people.
  This should be unacceptable to the U.S. and to the international 
community. I commend my colleague Rep. Ros-Lehtinen for taking a stand, 
and I encourage the executive branch to use all non-military means 
available to hold Ortega accountable for these deaths and to stop the 
carnage in Nicaragua.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 981, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________