Name? Daniel Ortega
Westphalian identity? Nicaragua
Age? 76
Why is he in the news? Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega, who leads a pretty dictatorial government alongside his wife, Rosario Murillo, is currently engaged in a diplomatic crisis with the EU and the United States. The tensions between Nicaragua and the West have worsened since the invasion of Ukraine, during which Ortega has ramped up his political persecutions. This year alone he has expelled ambassadors, cut ties with countries and most recently expelled the EU ambassador to Nicaragua.
Why do we care? The Ortega-Murillos are playing an interesting game here. As they consolidate power and erode rule of law in Nicaragua, the international community is using the textbook approach of diplomatic pressure and withdrawn investment to corner the regime. In response, Ortega has gone ahead and isolated Nicaragua from the international community preemptively by cutting ties.
Why should you care? Ortega’s only choice now is to either isolate Nicaragua, letting its economy and state fail; or back up and accept reconciliation with the EU and the US. A stand-off is all fun and games until you consider that the erosion of Nicaragua’s democratic institutions the last 20 years has led to over 200 political prisoners and hundreds of thousands of political refugees in Central America, Europe and the US. A continued escalation could lead to even more. You should care 7/10.
Who else cares? American Ambassador to Nicaragua Hugo Rodríguez strongly denounced Ortega’s human rights violations soon after he was appointed by US president Joe Biden. Ortega in turn refused to let him into the country. Ortega’s lack of diplomatic manners is good for Rodriguez, who may need more justification to expel Nicaragua from the Central American Free Trade Agreement (crushing exports), beyond regular sanctions.
Any further comments? Ortega’s latest persecution has been against priests, who had until now used sanctuary laws to speak against the regime. Even Pope Francis has called on Ortega for negotiations to ease tensions.
