Summary of main points
The selected article talks about sanctions against Nicaragua and how they might impoverish the people but have no impact on their vote. In other words, although the various sanctions against the country may make the people poor, they will unlikely change how they vote. According to the article, the U.S. administration under Biden is determined to impose sanctions on Nicaragua. However, this approach has resulted in mixed results in the past. The article also takes us back to history in the context of sanctions by the United States. For example, in 1985, Nicaragua was declared by President Reagan as sanctions an extraordinary and unusual threat to America’s foreign policy and national security. What followed the president’s words was a series of sanctions, including a ban on commercial flights and trade blockades. The most serious impact was when the U.S. financed the “Contra” war. The war resulted in the death of about 30,000 people. Recently, a similar declaration was made by Trump, although the impact was much less. According to the author, neither Trump nor Reagan saw it absurd to designate Nicaragua as an extraordinary threat. First, Nicaragua has a small population of about 6 million people. Second, Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the region. Third, the military budget of Nicaragua is too small. Biden also does not see it absurd to impose sanctions on Nicaragua. He has not only renewed his predecessors’ declarations but also added to those sanctions.
The United Nations has referred to sanctions as “unilateral coercive measures” and are illegal as far as international law is concerned. Despite the illegality of sanctions, America has imposed sanctions on 39 different countries. The article also mentions the important Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act, or simply the NICA Act. This Act was introduced by Ros-Lehtien in response to suspected fraud during the election of 2016 and the ending of the president’s term limits which made it possible for Ortega to seek reelection. A notable point from the article is that although the Act mainly targeted government ministers, it ended up hurting the country’s poorest communities. For example, the World Bank was impressed by how Nicaragua used international funds to save citizens from poverty. The World Bank also financed many projects in the country. Sadly, all this came to an end in 2018. It came back after almost three years, by which time people had suffered immense poverty.
Another point worth noting from the article is that Trump struck many government officials from Nicaragua with personal restrictions. Biden has also added more people to that list. It is, however, unclear if the said sanctions have significant impacts. For instance, what the sanctions do is merely block named people from traveling to America, having financial dealings, and having property in the U.S. It is also crucial to note that the basis of such sanctions is usually flimsy evidence. For example, sanctions were imposed on Paul Oquist, who recently died. He was a renowned negotiator in global efforts to address climate change. Sanctions against Nicaragua have touched specific projects that benefit the poor people. However, they have also started affecting crucial services such as healthcare. Apart from sanctions, the United States has an agenda of changing the regime in Nicaragua. For example, there is democracy promotion where the United States funds nonprofits to train more than 8,000 young people in Nicaragua. The ultimate goal is to displace the Ortega administration. The U.S. is known to openly organize and promote opposition politicians and refuse to accept the legitimacy of elections if they do not clinch power.
In a nutshell, the article focuses on sanctions against Nicaragua. The author has mentioned a number of prominent people in the country. They include Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Daniel Ortega, Ana Margarita Vijil, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Paul Oquist, Sonia Castro, John Bolton, and Juan González. The issue of sanctions affects Nicaraguans severely. For example, as mentioned earlier, the poorest communities in Nicaragua were the worst hit when the World Bank ceased providing funds to relieve poverty. Sanctions have a significant connection with America’s interests. For instance, the United States has been known to use sanctions to attain its agenda. The U.S. also uses sanctions to force administrations to step down. These are administrations that seem to disagree with the wishes of the United States. A solution is needed to resolve the problem of sanctions. Although sanctions may be justified to some extent, there is a need to sit down and consider how the innocent will be affected. Also, sanctions should not be used to interfere with the affairs of another country.
Analysis of the article
The article talks about sanctions and what they can do to a country. In my opinion, this is an educative article on how the United States has used sanctions against other countries. A good example is Nicaragua, which has been a victim of sanctions by the United States. Successive U.S. regimes have been bombarding Nicaragua with severe sanctions. Although sanctions might be meant for a particular sector, they have the potential to touch other key sectors of an economy, such as healthcare. This article has increased my understanding of modern Latin America. For instance, I am now aware that Latin America is not safe from sanctions from the United States. Although countries in modern Latin America might desire to be free from American influence, it might not be easy. The United States can still influence its affairs, including democratic elections.
Regarding the author’s perspective, she believes the United States has been misusing sanctions against other countries. Also, she cautions about the danger of sanctions. For example, she notes how Nicaragua has suffered courtesy of sanctions by the United States. The topic of sanctions relates to contemporary cultural, economic, and political themes in the USA today. For example, the Biden Administration seems to be following in the footsteps of previous administrations to impose sanctions against countries. The excuse for imposing sanctions is usually to protect the political interests of the United States. The use of sanctions by the United States is also a form of power play. In other words, the ability to gag foreign regimes through sanctions can be seen as political power.
Work Cited
Perry, John. “Sanctions May Impoverish Nicaraguans, But Likely Will Not Change Their Vote.” (2021).
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