At worst, Daniel Ortega’s regime seeks support in Russia

Special for Infobae – De Managua.– Daniel Ortega’s regime in Nicaragua is seeking a strategic rapprochement with Russia, at a time when a large part of the world is turning its back on it or criticizing it for the authoritarian behavior it has shown to stay in power.

Nicaraguan government jailed 31 opposition leaders in the past two months, mainly on charges of “treason”, among which are seven people who had expressed their intention to run as presidential candidates to face Daniel Ortega in the legislative elections of November 7.

The United States, Canada and the European Union have imposed sanctions on the Ortega regime to free political prisoners and force it to set the conditions for free and fair elections in November. In the same sense, and as part of a general condemnation that isolated the Ortega regime, they pronounced last June 26 Organization of American States (OAS) countries in a resolution against Nicaragua only got the support of two countries that voted against – San Vicente and the Grenadines and Bolivia – and Honduras, Mexico, the Argentina, Belize and Dominica abstained.

Apart from the American organization, the Nicaraguan regime He found only the unconditional support of Cuba, Venezuela and Russia. The latter country has resumed a leading role in the region that it had not had since the 1980s, at the end of the Cold War.

“Ortega is dragging Nicaragua into a dangerous geopolitical game, the goal of which is to make it a bridgehead against the United States, which the American establishment will never accept”, analyzes the Nicaraguan sociologist Oscar René Vargas. “His goal is that control of the United States is not so impregnable and crumbles, repeating the strategy of the 80s of the 20th century.”

Here are eight recent events which have set the tone for Nicaraguan rapprochement with Russia and which have raised some alarms in the United States:

Unique delegation in Russia. From July 17 to 21, the Nicaraguan Minister of Foreign Affairs Denis Moncada Colindres paid an official visit to Russia accompanied by two sons of President Daniel Ortega, Rafael and Laureano Ortega Murillo, and Iván Acosta, Minister of Finance of Nicaragua. The visit included talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov.

Visit to Abkhazia. On the very day of the arrival of the Nicaraguan delegation in Moscow, A delegation from Abkhazia arrived in Managua led by Kove Daur, its Minister of Foreign Affairs. Nicaragua is one of six countries in the world to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two small states that got rid of Georgia in 2008 with Russian military support. The Abkhaz Foreign Minister was the main guest of the celebration of the 42nd anniversary of the Sandinista revolution on July 19.

Delegation of Crimea. Another disputed territory is Crimea, this time between Russia and Ukraine. Russia rules Crimea without recognition from Ukraine or the United Nations. On June 29, a delegation from Crimea, led by Georgiy Muradov, vice-president of the Council of Ministers, arrived in Nicaragua and was received by Laureano Ortega, son of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. and presidential advisor for investment, trade and international cooperation.

Purchase of weapons. On June 24, we learned that the Nicaraguan regime had asked for Russia’s support in the “military-technical field”, according to statements by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, published by the Sputnik agency. Russian aid is said to focus on “providing the most modern weapons and preparing the army for fairly complex conditions”. “Historically, we have developed the association with Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and other countries. These are nations that for years have faced different forms of pressure and even threats of the use of force, ”said Shoigú.

Scientific-health cooperation. From May to date, Nicaragua received 300,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed that during the July 19 meeting, the Nicaraguan delegation requested the production of Russian vaccines against Covid-19 in laboratories in Nicaragua. “We are analyzing the demand for production of one of Russia’s anti-ovid vaccines in Nicaragua and I think this issue will be clarified soon,” Lavrov said.

Political support. At the same conference on July 19, the Russian Foreign Minister clearly indicated his country’s political support for the Nicaraguan regime. “We stand in solidarity with Nicaragua in the defense of its independence and sovereignty. We categorically reject any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of this country, like any other state, ”he said. A few days earlier, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, María Zajárova, had defended the Ortega government in the face of requests from organizations and countries to organize democratic elections. “As the legislative elections in this state approach, scheduled for November 7, the powerful wave of external pressure on the legitimate government of President Daniel Ortega is intensifying.“said the diplomat.

Russian presence. On April 19, a Russian plane landed in Managua with at least 40 Russian government officials.the Nicaraguan daily La Prensa reported. The plane arrived from Venezuela and was known about it because it was intercepted by the Colombian Air Force (FAC) when it violated Colombian airspace and entered through a different area than allowed. . The source of the Nicaraguan newspaper did not explain the purpose of the group of Russians who arrived at the airport in Managua. “It’s an official flight, it landed yesterday, with more than 40 passengers, all of them Russians. He was from Russia. Remember that there is a police training or training center here for the Russians, ”he said.

Entertainment center. At the July 19 press conference, Foreign Minister Lavrov also confirmed that there is a Russian training center in Nicaragua. “In Nicaragua, the Training Center of the Legal Institute of Siberia is functioning successfully, under the supervision of the Russian Ministry of the Interior, where the personnel of the police forces of Central America and the Caribbean are trained ”, a said the Russian Foreign Minister.

“The latest events would indicate to us that the strategy of Ortega-Murillo regime reportedly on track to find Russia’s geopolitical umbrella and break up the increasingly reduced international diplomatic seat, ”emphasizes sociologist Vargas.

The United States has been attentive to this rapprochement. In a presentation to the United States Congress in March 2021, U.S. Southern Command chief Craig Faller warned that Nicaragua has close ties with Russia, whose assistance to the country is focused on l military dispatch, education, donations and humanitarian aid. “It’s a strategy to subdue the Nicaraguan government and thwart US regional goals,” the admiral said.

These days, the US Senate and Congress are discussing the Reborn Bill which requires reports from the government of President Joe Biden on Russian influence in Nicaragua, for the application of sanctions. “This requires reports of Russian military sales to Nicaragua and a review of possible sanctions under the law against opponents of the United States through sanctions (CAATSA),” says the bill in one of the his points.

The initiative was approved this Wednesday, July 28 by the Congressional Foreign Relations Committee for the next step: the approval of the plenary session of Congress as part of the process to become law.

“We should all be alarmed by recent statements by the Russian Defense Minister about increasing his military ties with the Ortega regime, after adding $ 10 million to the $ 80 million in tanks and Russian arms sales recently, “warned human rights defender Bianca Jagger in a presentation on Nicaragua to the US Congressional Lantos Commission on the Nicaraguan crisis.” I think Ortega is trying to recreate a cold war scenario to be used to its advantage. “

KEEP READING: