U.S. Imposes Visa Restrictions on 100 Nicaraguan Officials

The United States imposed visa restrictions on more than 100 Nicaraguan officials and their families on June 8, 2026. Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, announced the measures in response to the death of Brooklyn Rivera, an indigenous Miskito leader and former lawmaker, who died in state custody on May 30.

Secretary Rubio attributed Rivera's death to the brutality of the regime led by President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo. U.S. officials specifically identified Lumberto Campbell Hooker as having played a role in denying Rivera medical care. This latest action increases the total number of Nicaraguans barred from entering the United States to more than 2,350.

The Nicaraguan health ministry claimed Rivera died from a bacterial infection linked to COVID-19, but his family and human rights organizations disputed this account, noting his previously optimal health. Furthermore, the U.S. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs reported that six friends and family members of Rivera have gone missing.