Francisco Javier Díaz Madriz is the Director General of the

National Police of Nicaragua The National Nicaraguan Police Force ( es, La Policía Nacional Nicaragüense) is the national police of Nicaragua. The force is in charge of regular police functions and, at times, works in conjunction with the Nicaraguan military, making it an ...

. He was appointed by president

Daniel Ortega José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (; born 11 November 1945) is a Nicaraguans, Nicaraguan revolutionary and politician serving as President of Nicaragua since 2007. Previously he was leader of Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, first as coordinator of the ...

on July 5, 2018, following Aminta Granera's resignation from the position in the face of mass protests across Nicaragua and the widespread criticism of the aggressive police response that followed. The appointment became public August 23 and Díaz was officially sworn in on September 5, 2018. Díaz was sanctioned by the

U.S. State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...

on July 5, 2018—a few hours before the decree appointing Díaz Director-General—under the

Magnitsky Act The Magnitsky Act, formally known as the Russia and Moldova Jackson–Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012, is a bipartisan bill passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in D ...

for what the State Department called "serious human rights abuse against the people of Nicaragua" by police under his supervision during the protests. Díaz and Ortega are related through their children's marriage.

References

Nicaraguan police officers People sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Chinandega {{Nicaragua-bio-stub