The Costa Rican government on Monday announced it has paused the appointment of its Ambassador to Nicaragua due to “the current political conditions in the neighboring country.”
More than a dozen opposition leaders, including five presumed presidential candidates, have reportedly been detained in Nicaragua ahead of November’s elections.
Costa Rica’s choice to interrupt the naming of its ambassador was decided Monday by the Governing Council.
“For now, the diplomatic mission in Managua will be in charge of an a Charge d’Affaires, attending to the bilateral and technical agendas that are being developed,” a statement from the Costa Rican government reads.
Before the process was suspended, Xinia Vargas Mora was expected to be named Costa Rica’s Ambassador to Nicaragua.
Costa Rica operates consular offices in Managua and Chinandega, Nicaragua.
Over recent weeks, Costa Rica and many other countries and international organizations have condemned the behavior of President Daniel Ortega’s administration, saying the detentions threaten free democracy.
“The current conditions of repression and exclusion are not consistent with credible elections. The region and the international community must stand together with the Nicaraguan people in support of their right to freely choose their government,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said.
Similarly, Costa Rica’s Foreign Ministry said it “condemns the actions taken in Nicaragua against the political opposition, and reiterates the importance of respecting political pluralism and freedom of expression.”
