The United States government announced this Tuesday that it is evaluating imposing 100% tariffs on all Nicaraguan products and studying the possible expulsion of Nicaragua from the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), after determining that the country maintains policies and practices that hinder U.S. trade and violate fundamental rights.
The decision, based on a report from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), states that “Nicaragua’s actions, policies, and practices regarding labor rights, human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the rule of law, are unreasonable and obstruct or restrict U.S. trade.”
According to official USTR data, these measures could affect strategic sectors of the Nicaraguan economy, including the export of agricultural and textile products to the United States, which represent a significant portion of bilateral trade. The application of 100% tariffs would mean an almost total blockade of these exports to Nicaragua’s main trading partner.
The report details that Nicaragua maintains severe restrictions on union freedom, limitations on collective bargaining, and a series of laws that, according to Washington, “violate international human and labor rights standards.”
These practices include the persecution of opposition leaders, arbitrary detentions, and judicial control over demonstrations and strikes, actions that the USTR considers incompatible with the principles of fair and transparent trade.
The possible removal of Nicaragua from CAFTA would represent a major economic blow. This agreement, in effect since 2006, aims to promote economic integration and free trade between the United States and six Central American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. Its expulsion would set a historic precedent and send a clear message about the defense of the rule of law and fundamental rights.
U.S. political analysts emphasize that the measure responds not only to economic criteria but also to a commitment to institutional stability and the protection of families and communities that depend on a secure and predictable legal framework.
The imposition of severe tariffs and the possible exclusion from CAFTA are tools intended to reinforce legitimate authority and sanction governments that violate universal norms of coexistence and trade.
Historically, Washington has adopted similar measures in contexts where serious violations of fundamental rights are detected, as in the case of Venezuela and Cuba, demonstrating that the defense of freedom and legality is non-negotiable.
The current administration emphasizes that the protection of workers and the promotion of social justice must go hand in hand with respect for property, private initiative, and democratic institutions—essential pillars for prosperity and social cohesion.
Nicaragua’s response to this warning will be decisive. A constructive response could open the door to negotiations that avoid devastating sanctions, while intransigence would strengthen the U.S. position and consolidate stricter economic and diplomatic measures.
The announcement has generated immediate reactions in the region and the international community, which is closely observing the defense of traditional principles against state policies that, under ideological pretexts, compromise the legal and economic security of the nations involved.
In a context marked by the advance of progressive policies in several countries in the region, this step by the United States is interpreted as a reminder that individual freedom, legitimate authority, and the defense of the family cannot be subordinated to leftist ideological agendas that erode institutions, rights, and basic norms of coexistence.
The protection of human and labor rights cannot be confused with tolerance toward regimes that use progressive rhetoric to restrict freedoms, control the economy, and weaken the foundations of traditional society. The United States sends an unequivocal message: justice, legality, and order will prevail against those who attempt to undermine them.
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