Nicaragua accuses Dominican Republic and other nations of interference

Nicaragua.- The Nicaraguan government has accused Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, and the Dominican Republic of interfering in its internal affairs after these countries rejected the nomination of former Foreign Minister Denis Moncada as the new Secretary General of the Central American Integration System (SICA). In a statement released on Wednesday, Nicaragua denounced the “arbitrary and unfounded” positions of these nations during a recent SICA foreign ministers meeting, which failed to reach consensus on the nomination.

Nicaragua presented a shortlist of candidates, including Moncada, Arling Patricia Alonso Gómez, and Johana Flores, after two previous attempts to fill the SICA General Secretariat position had failed. Managua criticized the four countries for imposing their political agendas on Nicaragua’s sovereign decisions and warned that such actions would lead to regional division and violate the Tegucigalpa Protocol.

The Nicaraguan government has called on regional leaders to respect the country’s sovereignty and national dignity. The SICA General Secretariat has been vacant since mid-November 2023, following the resignation of Nicaraguan lawyer Werner Vargas. SICA, established in 1991, includes eight full members, with Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.