US imposes sanctions on 39 ‘corrupt, undemocratic actors’ from 4 Central American countries

The United States has imposed sanctions on 39 individuals from four Central American countries for engaging in actions that undermine democratic processes and being involved in corruption. 

The countries are – El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, according to the Section 353 Corrupt and Undemocratic Actors Report published by the US State Department on Wednesday (19 July).

"Under Section 353, foreign persons identified, in the report submitted to the US Congress, are ineligible for visas and admission to the United States," states the report.

"Any current visa shall be revoked immediately, and any other valid visa or entry documentation will also be cancelled," it added. 

The report states that sanctions have been imposed on 13 persons from Nicaragua, 10 from Guatemala, 10 from Honduras, and six from El Salvador.

The report has been submitted to the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, House Committee on the Judiciary, and the Senate Committee on the judiciary.

It states that the US has imposed sanctions on the individuals for being involved in corruption related to government contracts; bribery and extortion; the facilitation or transfer of the proceeds of corruption, including through money laundering; and acts of violence, harassment, or intimidation directed at governmental and nongovernmental corruption investigators. 

Individuals who have been determined to have engaged in the relevant activity based upon credible information or allegations of the conduct at issue, from media reporting and other sources, according to the US State Department report. 

The department will continue to review the individuals listed in the report and consider all available tools to deter and disrupt corrupt and undemocratic activity in the countries concerned, it added.