Brazil and Nicaragua have severed diplomatic ties, expelling each other’s ambassadors in a tit-for-tat retaliation. The decision was made after Nicaragua ordered Brazil’s envoy to leave the country, prompting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to expel Nicaragua’s ambassador in Brasilia. This escalation signifies a further decline in relations between the two leftist governments, which had been allies in the past.
The spat reflects a broader trend of growing division among Latin American left-wing governments, particularly over Venezuela’s contested presidential election. Lula has publicly criticized the Venezuelan government for refusing to release the vote tallies. The Brazilian president’s stance has strained relations with some of his ideological counterparts in the region.
The latest diplomatic rupture stems from a series of events that began last month when Brazil’s ambassador declined to attend celebrations marking the 45th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua. This snub angered the Nicaraguan government, leading to threats of expulsion and, ultimately, diplomatic rupture.
Relations between the two countries have been deteriorating since Lula’s attempt to secure the release of Catholic bishop Rolando Jose Alvarez, a vocal critic of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, last year. The release was requested by Pope Francis, and Lula had even attempted to contact Ortega directly, but the Nicaraguan leader declined the call.
In response to the escalating tensions, Brazil’s foreign ministry has limited its engagement with Nicaragua, focusing primarily on providing consular services to Brazilian citizens in Managua.
