MP Cooper’s SO31 on Nicaragua

Mr. Speaker, since April Daniel Ortega and his Sandinista regime have unleashed a wave of political violence and repression against the Nicaraguan people. According to a UN report, the Sandinistas have engaged in extrajudicial killings, disappearances, torture and sexual violence. This week, a report from Amnesty International reported that pro-Ortega paramilitary groups have used weapons of war against peaceful protesters.

In light of the ongoing serious human rights violations, it is no longer good enough for Canada to merely call out Ortega. The time has come for the imposition of targeted sanctions pursuant to the Magnitsky act against Ortega and his Sandinista thugs.