Nicaragua Needs More Than Just Visa Bans to Escape Tyranny Now

Seven years ago, Nicaraguans took to the streets, their voices rising in defiance against a regime that had long tightened its grip on their lives. They demanded dignity, democracy, and an end to the iron rule of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. The response was brutal: hundreds killed, thousands jailed, and a nation pushed into silence. Today, as the United States announces visa restrictions on over 250 regime officials, the courage of those 2018 protesters still burns, a reminder of what’s at stake. But courage alone cannot dismantle tyranny.

The latest U.S. action, barring entry to those who prop up Ortega’s dictatorship, is a step toward accountability. It targets police, judges, and even university officials complicit in crushing dissent. Yet, as the Ortega-Murillo regime doubles down, stripping critics of citizenship and shuttering independent media, these measures feel like a whisper against a storm. The Nicaraguan people, scattered in exile or caged within their own borders, deserve more than symbolic gestures. They need a global uprising of action to match their sacrifice.

This moment demands clarity. The United States, with its unparalleled influence, has a moral obligation to lead. Visa bans are a start, but they cannot stand alone. The Nicaraguan diaspora, now over 260,000 strong, marches in cities like Miami and Los Angeles, their chants echoing the same demands as those bloodied streets seven years ago. Their resilience fuels hope, but hope without strategy fades. It’s time to amplify their voices and confront the regime’s enablers head-on.

The question isn’t whether the U.S. can act; it’s whether it will act with the urgency this crisis demands. Half-measures won’t free political prisoners or restore stolen freedoms. They won’t bring justice to the journalists, priests, and students forced into exile. The Nicaraguan people aren’t just fighting for themselves; they’re fighting for the very idea of democracy. Their struggle is ours.

The U.S. visa restrictions, authorized under Presidential Proclamation 10309, aim to isolate those who orchestrate Nicaragua’s descent into authoritarianism. Over 2,000 officials have now been targeted, a number that sounds impressive but masks a deeper truth. The Ortega-Murillo regime thrives not on international travel but on domestic control and illicit wealth. Gold mining and migrant exploitation, key revenue streams, remain largely untouched by these bans. Without broader economic pressure, the regime’s inner circle shrugs off restricted passports.

Transparency is another sticking point. The U.S. doesn’t publicly name all sanctioned individuals, a choice that dulls the policy’s edge. Public shaming could amplify the stigma, rallying global allies to join the fight. Instead, the quiet approach risks letting culprits slip through the cracks. A UN report from April 2025 named 54 key regime figures responsible for torture and arbitrary detentions. Why not broadcast their names, galvanizing the world to act?

Some argue visa bans are enough, claiming they signal U.S. resolve without escalating tensions. This view misses the mark. Ortega and Murillo have shown they care little for diplomatic niceties, expelling UN monitors and withdrawing from human rights bodies. Their constitutional reforms, cementing a co-presidency and gutting checks and balances, prove they’re playing a long game. Waiting for sanctions to soften their resolve is like expecting a wildfire to burn out on its own. It won’t.

The bans’ symbolic weight matters, but symbols don’t free prisoners or rebuild democracies. The U.S. must pair these restrictions with sanctions on regime finances and support for exiled activists. Anything less betrays the Nicaraguans who’ve risked everything. The diaspora’s marches, their handmade signs and tearful prayers, aren’t just protests; they’re a plea for the world to do more.

Across borders, Nicaraguans carry their nation’s wounds. Over 260,000 have fled since 2018, their lives upended by a regime that punishes dissent with exile and statelessness. In Costa Rica, they crowd makeshift shelters; in Miami, they rebuild fractured lives. Journalists, once the voice of truth, now broadcast from abroad. Priests, stripped of their parishes, pray in foreign churches. These exiles aren’t just survivors; they’re the backbone of a movement that refuses to let Nicaragua’s spirit die.

Their organizing is relentless. In April 2025, diaspora communities marked the seventh anniversary of the protests with vigils and marches. They honored the 355 killed and demanded freedom for over 1,500 political prisoners. Their work keeps Nicaragua’s plight alive, pressuring governments to act. Yet, many face legal limbo, unable to work or secure status. The regime’s reach extends abroad, seizing assets and issuing warrants to silence critics. This transnational repression demands a transnational response.

The U.S. has a unique role here. Its Nicaraguan diaspora, vibrant in places like South Florida, is a bridge to action. Supporting these communities, through legal aid or funding for advocacy, would amplify their impact. Critics might argue this diverts resources from domestic needs, but that’s a false choice. Standing with exiles strengthens global democracy, a fight that benefits everyone. The alternative, ignoring their plight, hands authoritarians a playbook for crushing dissent.

The international community’s response, while growing, remains fragmented. The UN’s April 2025 report, detailing crimes against humanity, is a clarion call, yet Ortega’s government brushes it off. The European Parliament and Organization of American States have issued strong condemnations, but words alone don’t topple dictators. Proposals for an International Court of Justice case or a unified “Group of Friends of the Nicaraguan People” could shift the tide, but they require bold leadership.

The U.S. can’t do it alone, but it can lead. Coordinating with allies to expand sanctions, freeze regime assets, and protect exiles would send a message: the world won’t tolerate Nicaragua’s slide into tyranny. Those who claim escalation risks destabilizing the region ignore the reality: Nicaragua is already destabilized, its people fleeing, its institutions gutted. Action now could prevent a deeper crisis, one that spills beyond borders.

Nicaragua’s fight is a test of our shared humanity. The U.S. visa bans are a spark, but they must ignite a broader fire. Economic sanctions, transparent blacklists, and robust support for the diaspora can turn pressure into progress. The Nicaraguan people, from the streets of Managua to the exile hubs of San José and Miami, have shown what’s possible when courage meets conviction. Their demands, for democracy, justice, and freedom, echo across generations and borders.

This is no time for hesitation. The world must rally, not just to punish a regime but to rebuild a nation. The Nicaraguans who marched in 2018, who march still, deserve nothing less than our full commitment. Their voices, though silenced at home, ring loud in our conscience. Let’s answer with action, not apathy, and stand with them until Nicaragua is free.