Nicaragua has announced a formal break in ties with the Vatican, marking a clear shift in the country’s diplomatic posture. The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that diplomatic relations between the Vatican City State and the Republic of Nicaragua are now suspended, signaling a new phase in an ongoing realignment of regional religious and political dynamics.
The ministry underscored that the step was taken after careful consideration of information it described as originating from sources connected to the Catholic Church. The move is presented as a protective measure intended to protect national interests and reflect Managua’s assessment of recent developments in the Vatican’s approach to Nicaragua’s domestic governance.
Reuters, citing a source within the Vatican, reported that Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has ordered the closure of the Vatican embassy in Managua and the republic’s diplomatic mission to the Holy See. The decision appears to be part of a broader decision to re-evaluate foreign representations tied to religious institutions amid political tensions that have affected how the state engages with religious organizations on the world stage.
The source closer to the Vatican noted that the closures were prompted by Pope Francis’s public remarks comparing Nicaragua’s government to historically authoritarian regimes, including references to the 1917 communist dictatorship and earlier German regimes associated with Adolf Hitler. The remarks have been cited as a catalyst for Managua’s decision to reassess its relationship with the Vatican and its diplomatic footprint in the region.
In another development, the Pope’s recent interview with Infobae in Argentina included critical language about Nicaragua’s leadership, describing the president as showing traits of instability while suggesting a long-standing history of church-state clashes within the country. The resulting narrative has fed into the broader diplomatic discourse surrounding Nicaragua’s stance toward the Catholic Church and its institutional presence inside the country.
Meanwhile, an international perspective surfaced with remarks attributed to a former U.S. secretary of state, noting that Nicaragua has released a substantial number of political prisoners and has transported some of them to the United States. Though these statements are part of a broader international conversation about Nicaragua’s political climate, they contribute to the perception of shifting alliances and ongoing concerns about civil liberties and governance in the region.