Despite the warnings from the Joe Biden adminsitration to the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, that Chinese dictator Xi Jinping «promises a lot and cannot deliver what he promises,» the Nicaraguan regime recently elevated relations with China to the level of a «strategic partnership». Furthermore, on December 24, they sent their foreign relations minister, Dennis Moncada, to «strengthen» relations with Iran, another enemy of the United States.
Nicaragua, under the Ortega regime, will end 2023 drawing closer to these countries, in addition to Russia, which under the rule of Vladimir Putin remains in conflict with Ukraine. Laureano Ortega Murillo, the dictator´s son, has said in Moscow that «in reference to the Russia – Ukraine conflict, Nicaragua is not neutral, Nicaragua stands with Russia».
Ramón Moncada Colindres, one of the two brothers of the Foreign Minister currently servin as ambassador, delivered the Letters of Credence to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hosein Amir-Abdolahian, accrediting him as ambassador to that country on December 19.
The meeting between the Ortega regime’s Foreign Minister and his counterpart in Iran, Amir-Abdollahian, doesn’t bring any benefit; rather, it «puts it under the radar» of the U.S. In June of this year, John Kirby, spokesperson for the Security Council, expressed concern about Iran’s role in the region and the world.
«Are we concerned about Iran’s destabilizing behavior? Absolutely. And we have taken and will continue to take measures to mitigate that behavior,» stated Kirby.
Moncada and his brother were part of the visiting delegation along with the Deputy Minister for International Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, Carlos Cerda Gaitán.
According to official media, they «agreed to continue strengthening the friendly Iranian-Nicaraguan ties, promoting and deepening bilateral relations in economic, trade, investment, scientific-technical, political, and cultural fields, countering unilateral coercive measures», in reference to the sanctions imposed by the U.S.
They also discussed mutual interests related to the construction of a «new multipolar world order», addressing the «need to strengthen international solidarity collaboration in support of the Palestinian People, and the cessation of Israeli aggressions and crimes».
Ortega builds ties with any U.S. enemy.
On April 13, the then-regime ambassador to Iran, Isaac Bravo Jaen, held a meeting with Mehran Fatemi, the governor of the Yazd province. During Ortega’s inauguration on January 10, 2022, Mohsen Rezai, the Vice President for Economic Affairs of Iran, was listed as a guest. Rezai is one of the individuals accused by the Argentine justice system in connection with the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish mutual aid association in Buenos Aires. There’s an Interpol red notice issued against Rezai.
Nicaraguan former political prisoner, Félix Maradiaga, said to LA PRENSA that Ortega perceives the world primarily through the lens of conflict with the United States. This perception shapes his regime’s foundation, leading it to continuously oppose, attack, and sustain tensions with the U.S. Consequently, Ortega seeks alliances with adversaries of the U.S., including Iran, Russia, and China. This approach aims to create counterbalances to U.S. influence and align Nicaragua strategically with nations that challenge American interests.
He further pointed out that the Ortega dictatorship «rests upon not only totalitarian ideological foundations but also deeply anti-American roots. The Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), in its inception, was built upon the premise that this political project should have anti-imperialism as one of its pillars.»
The former presidential hopeful and political prisoner also asserted that «just as the USSR and Cuba were sponsors of the Sandinista project in the 1980s, since his return to power in 2007, Ortega has been seeking a new sponsor for his second dictatorship. He also aims to be part of what he considers an «anti-imperialist axis, creating a geopolitical counterbalance to U.S. influence in Central America.»
Additionally, the political analyst emphasized that «only that obsessively anti-American vision explains the Ortega regime’s relentless pursuit in Nicaragua of an alliance with Iran.» And he added another element: the quest to fill the financial gap left by the end of Venezuelan cooperation and oil.
Regarding Nicaragua’s intentions with Iran, experts caution that it’s a more delicate matter. Carlos Murillo Zamora, an expert in international law, and a professor at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), has stated that close relations with Iran «are more concerning because behind Iran, there’s always Hezbollah and some other illegal armed groups that are backed by Iran.»
Nicaraguan political analyst Manuel Orozco, director of the Migration, Remittances, and Development program at the Inter-American Dialogue, has noted that unlike China, Iran itself has little strategic value to offer. He mentioned that «any tactical military engagement—whether through training, arms sales, or offering technology—represents a logistical shift in their basic training that would incur more costs than benefits.»
