MADRID — Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in Madrid that Italy has nothing in common with the vision of «extremist governments» such as Nicaragua’s and condemned the continued protection granted to Alessio Casimirri, a former member of the terrorist group Red Brigades who has lived under the protection of the Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo regime for decades.
«Let me be clear: We share nothing with the vision of extremist governments such as Nicaragua’s—a country that shelters Red Brigades member Alessio Casimirri, who murdered Aldo Moro, one of Italy’s most important Christian Democratic politicians. This man lives freely in that country. That is unacceptable to us,» Tajani wrote on his social media accounts. Tajani also serves as a vice president of the European People’s Party (EPP).
Casimirri arrived in Nicaragua in 1983 and became a naturalized citizen five years later. According to a profile published by Magazine in 2007, he had been sentenced in Italy to 11 life terms, an additional 24 years in prison, and two years of daytime solitary confinement for his role in the Moro case. Moro, a former Italian prime minister, was murdered after being held captive for more than 50 days. His body was later found in the trunk of a car.
Nicaragua’s Supreme Court rejected Italy’s extradition request for Casimirri in 1996. Under the country’s Constitution, Nicaragua does not extradite its own citizens. Italian authorities have consistently pressed for justice in the Casimirri case.
The Issue of Nicaragua Raised at EPP Gathering
The EPP meeting, where Tajani delivered his remarks, opened on July 15 in the Spanish capital and concludes the following day. At least 26 politicians, including Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of Spain’s People’s Party, attended in person.
Also participating were Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, recognized by his supporters as Venezuela’s president-elect following what they describe as the Maduro government’s massive electoral fraud in 2024, and Juan Sebastián Chamorro, the exiled Nicaraguan coordinator of the opposition party Citizens for Freedom (CxL).
Joining virtually were Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and Keiko Fujimori, leader of Peru’s Popular Force party.
In a post on X, Chamorro said participants continued to denounce Nicaragua’s dictatorship and that the country remained on Europe’s «political map.» He noted that the summit brought together center-right parties with a strong focus on Latin America.
«Alberto Núñez Feijóo mentioned Nicaragua as one of three countries where fundamental freedoms clearly do not exist. He referred to the leaders representing each of the countries participating in the forum. The Italian deputy prime minister spoke in detail about how Italy shares nothing with that dictatorship and called for Alessio Casimirri’s deportation to Italy. This remains an unresolved justice issue that Italian representatives consistently raise,» Chamorro said.
