Foreign Ministry maintains “channels of communication with Nicaragua” but there are no updates regarding the ambassador’s return

Eduardo González The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that, “despite the delicate situation in its bilateral relations with Nicaragua, Spain has continued to maintain open channels of communication” with the country, but has not provided any updates regarding the possible return of the Spanish ambassador to Managua, who was expelled last January by the Ortega-Murillo regime. On April 27, MP Alberto Catalán, of the Navarrese People's Union (UPN), submitted a written parliamentary question asking the Government to clarify whether it was maintaining “contact with the Nicaraguan government of dictator Daniel Ortega regarding the return of the Spanish Ambassador to Nicaragua” and, “if so,” to specify “the reasons for the change of heart.” In its response, issued on June 10 and published this Tuesday, June 23, in the Official Gazette of the Spanish Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “Spain has been particularly critical of the authoritarian drift of the Ortega-Murillo regime and has systematically condemned human rights violations and the political persecution of opponents, journalists, and other civil society actors.” “Spain is leading the activation of the sanctions regime in the European Union and supports those Nicaraguans who have been stripped of their Nicaraguan nationality by granting them Spanish nationality through naturalization,” it continued. Furthermore, it asserted, “a resettlement program has been developed with UNHCR that provides residence and work permits in Spain to Nicaraguan refugees residing in various Central American countries.” “Bilateral relations between Nicaragua and Spain have been going through a particularly difficult period since January 25, when Nicaraguan authorities expelled the Spanish ambassador in Managua and the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy, making unacceptable allegations of interference in internal affairs and giving them 24 hours to leave the country,” the Ministry recalled. “A similar measure was taken against five Spanish aid workers,” it added. “Applying the principle of reciprocity,” it continued, “the Spanish Government agreed to the expulsion of the Nicaraguan Ambassador to Spain and another diplomatic official accredited to the Nicaraguan mission in Madrid.” “Since then, our presence in Nicaragua has been maintained at the level of chargé d'affaires, with the aim of maintaining the minimum necessary contact with Nicaraguan authorities, as well as attending to consular matters,” the Ministry stated. “Therefore, despite the delicate moment in its bilateral relations with Nicaragua, Spain has continued to maintain certain channels of communication with Nicaragua, largely to protect the interests of Spaniards residing in that country, who are currently mostly businesspeople or aid workers,” it concluded. The double expulsion of ambassadors On January 25, the Nicaraguan government, led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, ordered the expulsion of Spain's ambassador to Managua, Sergio Farré Salvá, without providing any reasons. The following day, the Spanish government ordered the expulsion of Nicaragua's ambassador to Madrid, Mauricio Carlo Gelli, "in strict reciprocity for the unjust expulsion" of Sergio Farré, according to sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who spoke to The Diplomat. "The Spanish government will continue working to maintain the best possible relations with the brotherly people of Nicaragua," they added. Sergio Farré, who had been appointed ambassador in early December 2025, was finally dismissed as ambassador to Nicaragua in early March, just over a month after his expulsion. For his part, Mauricio Carlo Gelli, an Italian citizen who became a naturalized Nicaraguan in 2009, had been appointed Nicaragua's ambassador to Spain in November 2022. This was not the first major diplomatic crisis between the two countries. In fact, Gelli was appointed ambassador to Spain nine months after the government of Daniel Ortega decided to remove Carlos Midence, who had held the post since September 2016, at a time of peak tension in bilateral relations. In August 2021, Spain recalled its ambassador in Managua, Mar Fernández-Palacios, for consultations in response to a statement from the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry that contained, according to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "gross falsehoods about Spanish judicial and electoral processes." Subsequently, Spain decided to reinstate the ambassador, but the Nicaraguan government opposed this and, to avoid the expulsion of Carlos Midence, decided to withdraw him on its own on March 10, 2022. Despite this, in July 2022, the Spanish government requested Nicaragua's approval to appoint Pilar Terrén as the new ambassador to Nicaragua. This request came after the families of opposition members persecuted by the Sandinista regime asked Minister José Manuel Albares to maintain a Spanish presence in Managua to bear witness to the situation in their country. Ortega immediately granted the approval. Terrén held the post until December 2025, when she was replaced by Sergio Farré.

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