The United States has imposed visa restrictions on more than 100 Nicaraguan officials and their family members after Brooklyn Rivera, an indigenous leader and longtime political activist, died in government detention in May 2026 at age 73 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Rivera had been held in custody since September 2023 with limited outside contact [2, 4].
Rivera's daughter, Tininiska Rivera, publicly denounced the poor and degrading conditions of his detention on May 27, 2026, stating, "On the day my father was taken, September 29, 2023, he left his home in optimal health. The regime cannot now claim to blame pre-existing conditions for the physical deterioration of a man who has remained in state custody for three years." [2]
The Nicaraguan Health Ministry claimed Rivera died from a COVID-19 related bacterial infection on May 31, 2026 [4]. However, human rights groups, US officials, and Rivera's family strongly dispute this, alleging his death resulted from political persecution, poor detention conditions, and denial of medical care [1, 2, 3]. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the Nicaraguan government, saying, "The United States will not ignore the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship’s responsibility for the horrific death of political prisoner Brooklyn Rivera." [3]
Rubio also accused Lumberto Campbell Hooker, previously sanctioned by the US, of denying Rivera medical care and preventing his family from burying him [3]. Following Rivera’s death, several of his family members and friends have gone missing, a situation the US government has condemned [1].
The new visa restrictions target over 100 Nicaraguan officials and their family members implicated in abuses related to Rivera’s detention and death [1, 2, 3, 4]. This increases the total number of Nicaraguans barred from US visas to more than 2,350 for alleged complicity in actions by the Ortega-Murillo regime [1, 2, 3, 4].
Brooklyn Rivera’s detention began in September 2023 and ended with his death in May 2026 under disputed circumstances [2, 4]. The US government announced the latest round of visa restrictions on June 8, 2026.
The US continues to monitor human rights violations by the Nicaraguan government and maintains visa restrictions on individuals linked to political repression in the country [1, 3].
