Just one week after Nicaragua argued at the International Court of Justice to defend the Palestinian people from the genocide in Gaza, the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs gave its approval to a bill to impose more sanctions on Nicaragua. We must stop it from being approved by the Senate!
Dear Senator,
Please vote NO on S.1881, which seeks to impose more sanctions on Nicaragua and will cause hardship among the most vulnerable Nicaraguan citizens—the
poor, children, the elderly, and the sick.
Nicaragua has the second lowest per capita GDP in the Americas, yet has made tremendous strides in reducing poverty and improving health indicators such as
malnutrition and maternal and child mortality since 2007. Development loans have enabled it to build 24 new hospitals, improve roads, and to bring electricity, clean water, and housing to underserved communities. The country provides free universal health care and education at all levels. We do not want to reverse these trends!
Existing sanctions already caused Nicaragua to lose over $1.5 billion in development loans. This new package would further restrict access to those loans, and codify broad sector sanctions on gold, beef, and coffee, jeopardizing hundreds of thousands of jobs.
It also forbids any private US investment in the country. This legislation will disrupt regional trade, cause hunger in countries that trade with Nicaragua, and fuel further emigration from the region.
For these reasons, I urge you to vote NO on S.1881/H.R.6954.
Sincerely,
