US House panel orders Rubio to draft Nicaragua transition plan

The House Appropriations Committee of the United States ordered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to present a plan for a democratic transition in Nicaragua, according to the daily La Nación, which reported it on September 19, 2026. The directive calls for a detailed report within a maximum of ninety days after the enactment of the appropriations law for fiscal year 2027.

The legislative measure comes as part of the US budget review process, in which Congress sets funding and foreign policy priorities for the coming annual period. The committee document, chaired by Republican congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, states that the report must include actions to restore fundamental freedoms, independent institutions, human rights and religious freedom in Nicaraguan territory.

The bill also expresses the legislature's concern over the political, economic and security ties between the government of Daniel Ortega and the People's Republic of China, as well as Iran. According to the La Nación report, the committee warns that these international relationships deepen the alignment of the Central American country with authoritarian regimes that run counter to US security interests.

Despite demands for accountability and its critical stance toward the Nicaraguan administration, the committee clarified that funding will be maintained for democracy promotion programs in the region, with disbursements conditioned on compliance with governance and public freedom standards.