On Monday, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega was inaugurated for his fourth and consecutive term.

Many were present during the ceremony, including Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, and the Iranian Vice President.

Regarding Alex Saab, Ortega called on the US to end its policy of persecution and release him. 

Saab was apprehended in June 2020 in Cape Verde and unlawfully extradited to the US in October. Venezuela's government halted all talks with the US-backed opposition as a result.

Ortega urged US President Joe Biden to respect human rights and "comply with international law." He added that the people of Nicaragua do not ask for handouts, but for justice, stressing that US pressure, threats, and sanctions do not frighten the people but rather increase their steadfastness in the face of US imperialism.

Earlier in the day, the US and European Union sanctioned Nicaraguan officials including the defense minister, officials in the military, the state-owned Nicaraguan Mining company, and the company responsible for telecommunications and postal services.

It is worth mentioning that Washington and the European Union have already imposed sanctions on Ortega in June as part of its pressure campaign to subdue the South-American country. A month later, the US imposed visa restrictions on 100 members of Nicaragua's National Assembly and judicial system.