The United States government has slapped sanctions on 39 high officials and public figures from Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala for undermining democracy and targeting journalists.

The sanctions come as part of a report issued on Wednesday, which names individuals accused of anti-democratic activity and corruption in Central America.

"This list identifies individuals who have knowingly engaged in acts that undermine democratic processes or institutions, in significant corruption, or in obstruction of investigations into such acts of corruption in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador," reads a press release from the US Department of State.

The State Department's report includes 13 officials and public figures from Nicaragua, 10 from Honduras and six from El Salvador, as well as the 10 from Guatemala.

Ten Guatemalan officials, including several accused of undermining democracy and targeting journalists, as the country contends with an ongoing electoral crisis.

Those identified in the report have become ineligible to enter the US, and any visa they have from the country is revoked.

They include Mauricio Funes and Salvador Sanchez Ceran, two successive presidents of El Salvador who served in office from 2009 to 2014 and from 2014 to 2019, respectively.