Today, Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi denouncing her refusal to bring the bipartisan Reinforcing Nicaragua's Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform (RENACER) Act for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“With Nicaragua’s sham presidential election set to take place on November 7, the House of Representatives must condemn the assaults on democracy perpetrated by the Ortega regime. We must stand together to promote democracy in Latin America, and hold accountable the ruthless, anti-American dictators in the region. This has serious and direct consequences for the United States” said Representatives Salazar, Diaz-Balart, and Gimenez.
The letter, led by Congresswoman María Salazar, expresses the frustration of the Nicaraguan-American community for the delay in bringing the bill for a full vote in the House of Representatives. This bill passed by unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate months ago, but has been stalled by House Leadership. In the meantime, Daniel Ortega has continued his reign of terror, censoring independent media, suppressing dissent, and jailing anyone who dares participate in the upcoming presidential elections.
As of today, there are just 16 days until Nicaragua's sham presidential elections. In the letter, Reps. Salazar, Gimenez, and Diaz-Balart respectfully call on Speaker Pelosi to bring the bill for a final vote in the House of Representatives by the week of October 25.
Bringing the RENACER Act for a final vote in the U.S. House of Representatives is the final step needed before the bill goes to President Biden's desk for signature into law.
To read the full letter, click here.
Background:
The RENACER Act builds on the text of H.R. 1918, the Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act of 2018 by requiring targeted sanctions to advance elections scheduled for November 2021; coordinating sanctions with Canada and the European Union; reinforcing humanitarian and human rights exceptions in loans from international financial institutions; and expanding oversight mechanisms for lending from international financial institutions.
Original source can be found here.
