Nicaragua Investment Conditionality Act


The Nicaragua Investment Conditionality Act, also known as NICA Act, is a bill that, as a response to the alleged election fraud committed by president Daniel Ortega during the 2016 election, prevented Nicaragua from taking additional loans until they were willing to " effective steps to hold free, fair and transparent elections."

Procedural history

In 2016, the bill was passed by the United States House of Representatives. It was unable to be approved by the Senate or the president due to the 2016 presidential election. The bill was reintroduced to the House of Representatives again during a new session in 2017. The Nicaraguan Government and every single political party, including those who originally voiced concern over the election, opposed this bill, with Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo calling it a “reactionary and interventionist" action that would “undermine the right of Nicaragua to continue developing the socialist model.”. All ALBA member states are opposed to the bill. The following trade unionists have also voiced their opposition to the bill by signing a solidarity statement in support of the Government of Nicaragua:
On December 20, 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the NICA Act into law after it had already been unanimously approved by Congress. This enactment comes eight months after the beginning of the 2018–2020 Nicaraguan protests.