By the Sanctions Kill Campaign
This January we need to really step up our advocacy for the lifting of unilateral coercive measures (“sanctions”) on Nicaragua—and also on Cuba and Venezuela—working with the Americas Without Sanctions, part of the SanctionsKill campaign. We fully expect the incoming Congress and Trump administration to try to further undermine these three countries that have prioritized their peoples’ needs over profits for US-based corporations.
In 2024 the Biden administration tightened the sanctions on Nicaragua, and we are hearing more and more stories of charitable organizations being unable to receive funding in the US for projects in Nicaragua due to over-compliance with the sanctions’ regime. Please help us fight back with the Americas Without Sanctions petition!
The petition below points out the harms that sanctions cause to our Latin American neighbors and to the United States. Read the petition below and then Please sign on and share it with all your contacts. Also watch this space for more opportunities to use Americas Without Sanctions/SanctionsKill to advocate for a more just US foreign policy towards Latin America and the Caribbean.
Dear Member of Congress,
As we transition to a new administration and Congress in Washington, I urge you to reexamine whether the extensive use of US economic sanctions in Latin America serves US interests and values. There is evidence that sanctions undermine basic human rights, and that they are ineffective and even counterproductive. I urge you to consider removing the many sanctions that are currently in place against our neighbors in Latin America.
Sanctions are a root cause driving migration to the border. The large number of migrants on our southern border was clearly an issue of concern to US voters during this year’s election cycle. Rolling back sanctions on Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela would be an effective way to reduce the need to migrate from those countries. One report stated:
“Venezuelans apprehended at the border, for example, skyrocketed from a tiny 4,500 in FY2020 to the more than 265,000 in the first 11 months FY 2023! In the same period, Nicaraguans jumped from just 3,164 to 131,831. And Cubans spiraled from just 14,000 in 2020 to more than 184,00 in 2023.”
US-imposed sanctions as a root cause driving migration to the US have also been described by US academics, think tanks, and members of the US Congress. The Congressional Research Service found sanctions on Venezuela “contributed to an economic crisis in the country that has prompted 7.7 million Venezuelans to flee.” In brief, people deprived of sustenance in their home countries are choosing to survive by migrating.
Unilateral economic sanctions do not serve US interests and may ultimately undermine our economy. Former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew forewarned that, “foreigners … will eventually find ways to do business outside U.S. markets — weakening both our sanctions and our underlying economy. The magic bullet will become a poison pill.” The current rise of the BRICS alliance is a sign that this prediction may be coming true, as more nations seek alternative finance and trade arrangements. Sanctions on Venezuela deny our economy access to Venezuelan oil which could decrease gasoline costs to US consumers concerned with inflation. Escalating sanctions on Nicaragua may undermine the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) which has benefited the US, and the embargo on Cuba is not even supported by the majority of Cuban Americans in Miami-Dade County and elsewhere.
Finally, unilateral economic sanctions are immoral. Numerous international reports present evidence that they harm the most vulnerable civilian populations, denying people access to food, medicines and medical supplies, and inputs to maintain critical infrastructure such as electricity and drinking water systems. The result is increased suffering and deaths, particularly among children under five, the chronically ill, the elderly, and the poor. US sanctions on Venezuela are estimated to have caused 40,000 deaths between 2017 and 2018, and the placement of Cuba on the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, in addition to a six-decade-long embargo, has unleashed the most severe humanitarian crisis in the country’s history. These results do not reflect the values we embrace in the United States, nor do they help our standing in the world.
For all these reasons, I strongly urge you to:
Vote NO on the pending legislation aimed at escalating sanctions against Cuba (HR314), Nicaragua (S.1881/HR6954), and Venezuela (S.995), and advocate for the repeal of existing Congressional sanctions against these countries. It is clearly time for a change in US sanctions policy in Latin America.
Sincerely,
Click here to sign the petition, then be sure to share it with all your contacts!
Briefs
First Harvest Assures Corn Supply in Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, corn production is destined for internal consumption, cultivated mainly by small and medium producers, and is a fundamental part of the diet of Nicaraguan families and an income generator for farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) continuously monitors production of these grains, registering a national production for 2024 of 5.1 million hundredweights of corn. This was produced by more than 170 thousand small and medium scale farmers who harvested 402,277 acres.
It is worth mentioning that corn production guarantees domestic consumption, keeping markets supplied and prices stable. The National System of Production, Consumption and Commerce promotes good agricultural practices, the incorporation of technologies and crop transformation, which contribute to improving the profitability of the crop and boosting the economy of producer families. (El 19 Digital, January 03, 2025)
Government to give $50 voucher to 500,000 children for school supplies
Vice President Rosario Murillo announced on Jan. 6 that some 500 thousand preschool, first, and second grade children will receive a $50 voucher for the purchase of school supplies. Murillo said, “For this school year, which begins in the last days of January, all children in preschool, first and second grade will receive a voucher of $50 each for the purchase of supplies of the child’s taste. We think that this way we are better off because everyone will find the backpack and the notebooks they like, the ones that makes them happy, that make them happy to start school.” In past years, the government has bought the backpacks and supplies and distributed them to the children. (El 19 Digital, January 06, 2025)
Marena promotes renewable energy and sustainable practices
Puerto Momotombo is in the core zone of the Momotombo-Momotombito Volcanic Complex Natural Reserve, in the Department of Leon. This week, representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) visited the Momotombo Power Company, as part of its efforts to promote sustainable practices in the generation of renewable energy. Since 1970, this company has been dedicated to the generation of clean and renewable energy from heat and steam from deep in the earth. It currently has ten producing wells and six injector wells, generating 17,000 megawatts per hour monthly, which represents 4% of the energy distributed nationwide, providing employment for 80 employees in the communities of Momotombo and La Paz Centro, in León.
A highlight of its environmental responsibility is the maintenance of an environmental regeneration area, which contributes to the balance of local ecosystems. The company also actively participates in reforestation campaigns with native species and has three firefighting brigades, which have been strengthened with training provided by MARENA and the Municipal Mayor’s Office. In Nicaragua, the use of geothermal resources not only contributes to the change in the energy matrix, but also generates employment and promotes local development, while respecting the principles of environmental conservation. (El 19 Digital, January 6, 2025)
2025 to Be Year of Momentum for Electric Vehicles
Nicaragua has taken important steps to promote the use of electric vehicles and is positioning itself as a leader in the Central American region in this area. The government has passed laws and regulations that encourage the importation, commercialization, and use of electric vehicles. This includes tax benefits, tax exemptions and the creation of a charging infrastructure. Investments have been made in the installation of charging stations in several cities, making it easier to recharge electric vehicles and reducing range anxiety. More and more makes and models of electric vehicles are available in the Nicaraguan market, allowing consumers to choose from a variety of options. A transnational courier company is already using electric vehicles in Nicaragua. And a dealer has offered to bring in very competitive Chinese-made pick-up trucks. In 2024, close to 10 thousand new vehicles were imported. (Informe Pastran, January 6, 2025)
Baby Turtles Released at Chacocente Wildlife Refuge
On Jan. 5, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) released 434 baby turtles in the Escalante Chacocente River Wildlife Refuge. This action is part of the efforts to conserve and protect the different species of sea turtles that nest on the coasts of the country. The release had the participation of national and foreign tourists, as well as protected area rangers, who joined this initiative to ensure the survival of these endangered species. The small reptiles were carefully transferred from the hatchery of the biological station to the sea, where they will begin their life in the ocean. Nicaragua has positioned itself as a regional reference in the conservation of sea turtles. Thanks to public policies and the efforts of local communities, the country has managed to significantly increase the populations of these species in recent years. (Informe Pastran, January 6, 2025)
Campaign to Prevent Dengue and Other Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Workers from the Ministry of Health moved on Jan. 8 through the San Sebastian neighborhood of District II of Managua, as part of an anti-epidemic day that aims to eradicate mosquito breeding sites from all homes. In statements to the media, Dr. Freddy Suarez, from the Socrates Flores Health Center, explained that the work is focused on three aspects: destroying mosquito breeding sites, applying treatment chemicals to water in laundry facilities and in barrels of water for daily use and fumigation to eliminate the adult phase of the mosquito.
Suarez said, “We are starting 2025 with our First Anti-Epidemic Day. The objective is to eradicate as much as possible or reduce the population density of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, a vector that is domestic in the sense that it lives with us as long as we allow it. This vector transmits three diseases, dengue, chikungunya and zika.” Health workers make house-to-house visits so that mosquito abatement activities are carried out in all homes. “Right now, we are in the dry season, but the containers we have in our yards can still be left with water and that can provide a breeding ground for the Aedes mosquito. So, we must eliminate unessential objects containing water. With that we avoid diseases,” he said. (Radio La Primerísima, January, 8, 2025)
