The phrase "country hostage" refers to a situation in which a country or its people are controlled or restricted by another person or group, resulting in limited freedom and decision-making power. Full definition
He had said Democrats were trying to «hold the entire country hostage» by not supporting the advancement of this continuing resolution. (politics.stackexchange.com)
Canada is the only country in the world with such a system, and the boards do nothing but protect the interests of a few wealthy farmers while holding the whole country hostage. (canadianbusiness.com)
Moreover, the Obama progressive mentality is so pervaseive that international lending and donor agencies (the UN, OPIC, etc.) are holding poor, developing countries hostage to wind, solar, and biofuel projects that can not lift them out of poverty — and thus these elites are damning the world's poorest people to eternal poverty when true prosperity through fossil fuels is staring them in the face. (cfact.org)