Ortega’s Endgame: Nicaragua Sheds Western Ties, Embraces Eastern Powers

The Nicaraguan government formally withdrew from the Central American Court of Justice yesterday. Foreign Minister Valdrack Jaentschke sent an official letter to the court’s acting president, César Ernesto Salazar Grande, denouncing the 1992 Statute.

Nicaragua claimed the court failed to fulfill its original purpose during its 32-year existence. The government pointed out that only Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador have appointed magistrates to the regional judicial body.

Officials argued the court structure has become “incoherent” and does not reflect true regional integration. This withdrawal represents the latest step in Nicaragua’s systematic separation from Western-aligned international organizations.

President Daniel Ortega’s government previously exited the Organization of American States, the UN Human Rights Council, and other multilateral institutions amid growing criticism.

The Ortega-Murillo regime faces sanctions from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and European nations. A UN report concluded the government committed “widespread and systematic human rights violations amounting to crimes against humanity.”

Nicaragua has simultaneously strengthened ties with China and Russia. President Xi Jinping announced a “strategic partnership” with Nicaragua in December 2023.

Their Free Trade Agreement took effect on January 1, 2024, making Nicaragua China’s fifth free trade partner in Latin America. Military cooperation with Russia has intensified dramatically.

Nearly 3,500 Russian military personnel have entered Nicaragua over the past decade. Moscow provides military equipment and training to Nicaraguan forces since 2016.

Nicaragua’s Growing Ties with Russia

The Nicaraguan legislature recently approved construction of a Russian Interior Ministry police training center. This follows concerns about Russian espionage activities at bases within Nicaragua. The two countries established a joint military working group in December.

American officials express “extreme concern” about this trilateral relationship. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Eric Jacobstein highlighted the alignment as particularly troubling for U.S. interests in the region.

Nicaragua also seeks to join the BRICS economic bloc. The country discusses de-dollarization options with Russia and other Latin American nations. This economic realignment could reduce American financial influence in Nicaragua.

Security experts warn Nicaragua might become “Russia’s Cuba of the 21st century” – a strategic foothold near U.S. borders. The country receives 90 percent of its arms and munitions from Russia, including tanks, patrol boats, missile corvettes, and fighter aircraft.

The Ortega-Murillo family consolidated power through recent constitutional reforms. The National Assembly extended presidential terms and elevated Rosario Murillo to “co-president” alongside her husband.

In short, these changes entrenched what critics call a “dynastic dictatorship” increasingly isolated from Western democratic institutions.