Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1400707
15 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 11 AUGUST 2021 EUROPE This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. These articles reflect only the authors' view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. dismantle the tangle of corrup- tion that sustains his authori- tarian regime." The call for a financial inves- tigation noted that "Nicaragua has been blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force since October 2020". The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was created in 1989 by the Group of Eight, the eight most developed countries, to develop policies that help combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Broadening of sanctions urged In Item 11, the Parliament called "on the Council and the Member States to swiftly expand the list of individuals and entities to be sanctioned, including the President and Vice-President of Nicaragua and their inner circle" In a resolution passed in Oc- tober 2020, the European Par- liament had already asked the Council to broaden sanctions against regime officials, includ- ing Ortega and Murillo. On May 4, 2020, the Euro- pean body sanctioned six high officials of the Ortega regime. Among them were four heads of police: National Police Com- missioner Francisco Diaz and Commissioners Luis Alberto Pérez Olivas, Justo Pastor Ur- bina and Ramon Avellan. They also sanctioned presidential advisor Nestor Moncada Lau and former health minister So- nia Castro. Josep Borrell, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy participated actively in Tuesday's debate. He advised: "in the next few days, we'll pro- pose to the [European] Coun- cil the adoption of restrictive measures in the style of those already taken in the past." Before the EU can impose sanctions, first Borrell must present a proposal. This is then analysed in different bodies within each of the 27 member countries and within the Euro- pean Council. Later, it goes on to the countries' Foreign Min- isters, who have the final vote. The Ministers must approve it unanimously. Borrell warned: "The situa- tion (in Nicaragua) has reached such an extreme that, without a doubt, the member States will have to study more concrete actions, beyond just saying: "Enough now Mr. Ortega". The situation merits it." In the last five weeks, the Or- tega regime has jailed 26 op- position leaders, among them presidential candidates, ac- tivists, journalists and former guerrilla leaders. The latest arbitrary deten- tions took place the night of 5 July, when Ortega's police ar- rested presidential candidate Medardo Mairena, as well as farm movement leaders Pedro Mena and Freddy Navas. Also abducted and jailed were uni- versity student leaders Lesther Aleman and Max Jerez. In the current resolution, the European Parliament "express- es its solidarity with the Nica- raguan population and strong- ly condemns all the repressive actions of the Nicaraguan au- thorities against democratic opposition parties and their members, journalists and other media workers, students, in- digenous people, human rights defenders and civil society, as well as their family members." "Take care not to harm the Nicaraguan people" In extending the sanctions, MEPs specifically noted the need to "take care not to harm the Nicaraguan people." At the same time, they stressed: "the need to main- tain and ensure that EU assis- tance for civil society organisa- tions, human rights defenders and the people of Nicaragua through the EU's development and humanitarian programs, among others, reaches its true beneficiaries and not the gov- ernment and authorities, in order to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 and the current governmental repression and prevent this crisis from turning into a humanitarian crisis." Item 11 of the resolution adds: "[We] recalls that, in the light of the Association Agree- ment between the EU and Cen- tral America, Nicaragua must respect and consolidate the principles of the rule of law, democracy and human rights, and reiterates its demand that, in the light of the current cir- cumstances, the democrat- ic clause of the Association Agreement be triggered." Legitimacy of the elections The resolution also spoke of the upcoming Nicaraguan elec- tions, warning: "In order for the elections and the resultant gov- ernment to be recognized by the European Parliament, the changes requested by the OAS and international organizations must be implemented, in par- ticular the re-establishment of the rights and freedoms that make possible a free, credible and equitable electoral pro- cess." The same item urged Presi- dent Ortega to "immediately" modify the Electoral Law to conform to the internation- al parameters demanded by the Organization of American States. They also urge the Nic- araguan strongman to "appoint impartial people to the differ- ent electoral structures", and to "restore the legal status of the parties that were stripped of it" [the Democratic Resto- ration Party and the Conserv- ative Party]. It also called on the govern- ment to "guarantee the unre- stricted presence of national and international electoral observation bodies while com- mitting to political coexistence after the elections." Last December, the EU re- fused to recognise the results of Venezuela's legislative elec- tions, considering that they were neither "free, fair nor democratic" and that the vote count "didn't represent the will of the Venezuelan people," Jo- sep Borrell stated at the time. EU to broaden sanctions against Ortega and his inner circle Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega with his wife Rosario Murillo, who is also his Vice-President