Juan Pablo de Laiglesia.
Luis Ayllón. 04/07/2018
The Secretary of State for International Cooperation and for Ibero-America and the Caribbean, Juan Pablo de Laiglesia, will travel to Nicaragua on Sunday to try to know the situation of the country on the ground, according to information provided to The Diplomat by reliable sources.
De Laiglesia will remain in the Central American country until Wednesday, holding meetings with the Nicaraguan authorities and representatives of different social sectors that try to dialogue with the Government of Daniel Ortega to try to find a solution of the climate of confrontation that started in April. Since then, more than 200 people have died, mainly because of the action of police forces and, especially, illegal armed groups that have official protection and shoot against those demonstrating against the Government.
According to the sources consulted, the initiative of the secretary of State tries to make Spain be more present in the efforts to achieve a peaceful solution to the crisis in a country with which it has very close ties. So far, it has not been confirmed whether there will be a meeting with Daniel Ortega among those to be held in Managua.
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Laiglesia will try to make Spain be more present in the efforts to achieve a solution to the crisis
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After the first incidents in April and the first deaths, the Government of Mariano Rajoy made a call for “the cessation of violence and the maximum containment in actions of the security forces of the State”, and offered “its complete collaboration” for the establishment of channels for an “effective dialogue” between all the Nicaraguan actors.
However, the only top-level meeting held with the Executive of Nicaragua, took place in Madrid on May 22 when the then Foreign Minister, Alfonso Dastis, received the advising minister for Politics and International Affairs of the Presidency of Nicaragua, Sidartha Francisco Marín Arauz, with whom he shared Spain’s concern about the situation in the country and claimed that the Government of Ortega puts an end to violent actions of the security forces and illegal armed groups.
