Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 17, 2019 PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP IS TAKING A STAND FOR DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE   “When Venezuela is free, and Cuba is free, and Nicaragua is free, this will become the first free hemisphere in all of human history” – President Donald J. Trump   HOLDING THE CUBAN DICTATORSHIP ACCOUNTABLE: President Donald J. Trump is holding the Cuban regime accountable for its repression of the Cuban people. President Trump is enabling Americans to file lawsuits against persons and entities that traffic in property confiscated by the Cuban regime. This marks the first time that these kind of claims have been available for Americans under the Helms-Burton Act. Pursuant to Helms-Burton, the Administration is ensuring that anyone who has trafficked in property confiscated by Cuba from an American is not issued a visa to the United States.  The Administration is adding five entities owned by the Cuban military to its restricted list, which now has over 215 entities, prohibiting Americans from transacting with them. The Administration will be placing a cap on remittances to Cuba, prohibiting dollar transactions through third-party financial institutions, and restricting non-family travel. President Trump is continuing his efforts to hold the Cuban regime accountable for its abuses and to reverse previous policies that enriched the regime. The President announced a policy in 2017 aimed at diverting economic activity away from the Cuban military, enhancing travel restrictions, and reaffirming the embargo. STANDING WITH THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA: President Trump is standing with the Venezuelan people and has imposed tough sanctions targeting the corrupt, former regime.  President Trump has issued multiple executive orders imposing sanctions to pressure the illegitimate former dictator Nicolas Maduro to accept a peaceful democratic transition. These actions have targeted Maduro and his corrupt cronies for undermining Venezuela’s democracy and looting Venezuela’s resources. The United States has designated over 150 individuals and entities connected to Venezuela for sanctions, cutting off a significant stream of resources to the Maduro regime Among these entities are the state oil company PdVSA and the Central Bank. President Trump was the first head of state to officially recognize Juan Guaido as the Interim President of Venezuela. Leaders from over 50 nations have since joined him. The United States has provided hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid for the Venezuelan people, who have suffered horribly under Maduro. PROMOTING DEMOCRACY IN NICARAGUA: President Trump is committed to restoring liberty, democracy, and the rule of law in Nicaragua.  President Trump has targeted the Ortega regime and its supporters in Nicaragua who have engaged in corruption, human rights abuses, and the dismantling of democratic institutions. President Trump has sanctioned the Ortega regime’s financial resources, including BANCORP which acts as a slush fund for the Ortega regime. The Administration imposed sanctions on Laureano Ortega, the son of President Ortega, who has used the investment promotion agency ProNicaragua to corruptly enrich the regime. The President signed the Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act in December 2018, targeting Nicaraguan officials associated with human rights violations. President Trump has called for early, free and fair elections for the Nicaraguan people. ###