Kevin Sullivan’s role as former U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua from October 2018 to May 2023 has been pivotal in navigating the ongoing sociopolitical crisis in the country. The American diplomat became a prominent negotiator between the United States and Nicaragua.
The chronicle of the «Operation Nicas Welcome,» the name given to the process of expelling 222 political prisoners held by the regime until February 9, 2023, reveals how the former ambassador to Nicaragua, along with his team, negotiated the release and subsequent exile of these individuals. Negotiating with the dictators was far from easy for Sullivan, especially after months of covert diplomacy.
«It came to a positive conclusion on January 29 when Nicaragua’s Foreign Minister, Denis Moncada, unexpectedly posed a question to then-Ambassador Kevin Sullivan, who had headed the US Embassy in Managua since 2018: ‘Would the United States accept all the political prisoners from Nicaragua?'» Moncada asked the diplomat.
According to the account, there were subsequent diplomatic activities
«Ambassador Sullivan boarded a plane bound for Washington to advance the inter-institutional response, entrusting Chargé d’Affaires Carla Fleharty and a small embassy team with the task of reaching an agreement with the regime on logistics, timelines, and ensuring that only prisoners who freely consented would depart for the United States,» the publication reads.
Negotiations with the regime were touch and go until the last minute, when the ambassador overcame a major disagreement that had threatened to derail the entire operation. With that phone call over, Operation Nica Welcome was a go, even though the regime repeatedly stated in speeches that the release was part of a unilateral decision.
Kevin Sullivan worked in the midst of the crisis
Sullivan became a key figure from day one of his mission in Nicaragua.
On October 11, 2018, Kevin Sullivan was confirmed as the United States Ambassador to Nicaragua. However, it wasn’t until November 14 that the diplomat arrived in Nicaragua to assume his diplomatic duties.
Nicaragua had already been in a sociopolitical crisis for over five months, a situation that had registered serious human rights violations in the country.
Prior to his confirmation as Ambassador, he served as Acting Permanent Representative and Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States Mission to the Organization of American States (OEA).
The diplomat, prior to arriving in the country, stated to Business magazine that his priority was to support the negotiation table (of the National Dialogue) «in the pursuit of a political agreement that provides a path to genuinely free, fair, and advanced elections that allow Nicaraguans to chart their own destiny.»
His love for Nicaragua
Kevin Sullivan left the country on May 19, 2023, after four and a half years of diplomatic mission.
During his tenure, the Ortega regime referred to his work as «detestable invasive interference» and repeatedly accused him of «interfering in the country’s internal affairs.»
As he bid farewell to Nicaragua, the former ambassador showcased his love for the country, mentioning that he was saying goodbye while enjoying Nicaraguan cuisine.
«My family will never forget Santiago’s first three years of life here, and that’s why we’ll always carry a piece of Nicaragua with us,» he wrote on social media.
Currently, Kevin Sullivan serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the Department of State, assuming the position on August 27, 2023.
