The United States imposed new sanctions Monday against more than 100 members of Nicaragua's regime and announced visa restrictions on over 100 dictatorship officials and their relatives, responding to the death of 73-year-old political prisoner Brooklyn Rivera. Rivera, a former lawmaker and leader of Nicaragua's Miskito indigenous people, died in state custody last week after nearly three years of forced disappearance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio directly blamed the Ortega-Murillo regime for Rivera's death, accusing top official Lumberto Campbell Hooker of involvement in denying medical care and preventing the family from burying his remains.

The 2,350 visa restrictions: Washington's incremental squeeze

Monday's action brings the total number of Nicaraguan regime officials and family members hit with U.S. visa restrictions to more than 2,350, according to the source. This latest tranche targets over 100 individuals, including members of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo's inner circle. The escalation is part of a setady buildup of U.S. pressure that began years ago,tightening financial and travel restrictions on a regime the Trump administration has called a dictatorship. Rubio's statement explicitly linked the new sanctions to Rivera's death, framing them as both a punitive measure and a deterrent against further abuses.

The sanctions themselves — blocking assets and prohibiting U.S. transactions — apply to over 100 regime members, though the source did not name all individuals.. The move follows a pattern of Washington using economic tools to isolate Ortega, similar to steps taken against Venezuela and Cuba. As reported, the U.S. now stands with the Nicaraguan people who, like Rivera, aspire to a free Nicaragua.

Why Brooklyn Rivera's remains became a flashpoint

The regime has refused to hand over Rivera's body to his family, instead conducting an expedited burial without their consent, as the source details . his daughter , Tininiska Rivera, who has been in exile since 2023, said the regime's refusal stems from fear that an independent autopsy would reveal evidence of torture and inhumane treatment over nearly three years of detention. The regime claimed Rivera's death was caused by a bacterial infection from the Wuhan coronavirus, a statement widely dismissed by international observers. Six of Rivera's relatives, including his 64-year-old sister Alda López Bryan, were detained after traveling to Managua to reclaim the body; they are now believed to be in forced disappearance themselves.

The open question remains what exactly killed Rivera and what conditions he endured. The regime showed harrowing footage of him bedridden and severely deteriorated days before his death, sparking global outrage. Without an independent autopsy, the cause of death cannot be verified.

A seventh political prisoner death under Ortega — and the regime's COVID claim

Rivera is at least the seventh known political prisoner to die in the custody of the Ortega-Murillo regime, according to the source. This list includes prominent dissidents and even a former ally of Ortega himself. The regime's attempt to blame Rivera's deterioration on a bacterial infection linked to COVID-19 follows a pattern of using health pretexts to justify harsh treatment. The source notes that the regime's claim is viewed by critics as propaganda to obscure responsibility.

The broader context is a decades-long crackdown that intensified after 2018 protests. ortega has jailed opponents, shuttered independent media, and eliminated political rivals. Rivera's case drew particular attention because of his indigenous leadership and his 2023 U.N. speech denouncing the regime — after which he was preventted from returning to Nicaragua, then sneaked back and lived in hiding until his arrest.

What the forced disappearance of Rivera's relatives signals

The detention of six family members, including a 64-year-old woman, suggests the regime is willing to target even those seeking a proper burial. The source reports that these relatives are now considered subjected to forced disappearance — the same condition Rivera endured for nearly three years. This escalation could deter other families from demanding justice or speaking out. It also raises the question of whether the U.S. will expand sanctions to include those responsible for this new disappearance.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on social media that the regime refused to hand over Rivera's remains, calling the death a result of inhumane treatment. The international community has condemned the move, but concrete action beyond U.S. sanctions remains limited.