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While the United States sanctions the Nicaraguan regime for violating human rights, Russia decides to support dictator Daniel Ortega with weapons and military training; just as it did with Venezuela.
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said that Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela, require “now more than ever” Moscow’s support to face what he categorized as “threats” in reference to the United States.
“Historically we have established partnerships with Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and other countries (…) Russia’s support is required now more than ever,” he said.
Shoygu said that tyrannies such as Cuba, Nicaragua or Venezuela asked him for “supplies of more modern armaments” and to prepare “their militaries to face a complicated situation”.
His remarks came on the same day that the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee gave its approval to the RENCAR Act, which imposes sanctions on the Ortega regime. The bill includes a section allowing the Biden administration to gather intelligence on Russia’s activities and interests in the Central American country.
The new sanctions on Nicaragua come after Ortega launched a wave of arrests of opposition politicians aspiring to run in the presidential elections.
Russia’s support to Nicaragua is not only limited to arms; it also financed a military training center in Managua and exercises to strengthen and modernize the Army for an approximate amount of US$ 26 million.
Nicaragua: Ortega dismisses criticism from international community
Nicaragua plans to organize general elections in November, but Ortega has taken it upon himself to quash any kind of competition, by arresting his rivals and by reforming the Electoral Power, which has guaranteed him total control of the entire electoral system.
Just as the U.S. State Department imposed economic sanctions on figures of the Ortega regime, the United Nations (UN) also urged him to release all political prisoners; however, the dictator rejected the criticism and defended the arrests.
“We are not prosecuting candidates, here we are dealing with criminals who have attempted against the security of the country, the life of the citizens (…) They want to organize another April 18, another coup d’état to provoke what they call regime change”, said Ortega after a month and five days of public absence.
“Some countries dare to attack Nicaragua when they have the roof completely made of glass, also the floor of glass. They are on their knees asking for sanctions before the Yankee empire, they think that with sanctions they are going to bend Nicaragua,” Ortega added against the international community.
Sabrina Martín Rondon is a Venezuelan journalist. Her source is politics and economics. She is a specialist in corporate communications and is committed to the task of dismantling the supposed benefits of socialism // Sabrina Martín Rondon es periodista venezolana. Su fuente es la política y economía. Es especialista en comunicaciones corporativas y se ha comprometido con la tarea de desmontar las supuestas bondades del socialismo