Nicaraguan dictator comes out in support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Nicaraguan dictator Daniel Ortega came out in support of the Kremlin’s latest incursion into Ukraine on Monday, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin was within his rights to recognize two Moscow-supported separatist regions as independent.

The former guerrilla fighter turned despot – who has faced fierce international criticism for imprisoning political rivals and holding fraudulent elections – was one of the first world leaders to come out in support of Russia’s recognition of the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, Reuters reported.  

"I am sure that if they do a referendum like the one carried out in Crimea, people will vote to annex the territories to Russia," said Ortega during a speech in Managua, the Nicaraguan capital.

Ortega also noted that the prospect of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) posed a security threat to Russia.

“If Ukraine gets into NATO they will be saying to Russia let's go to war, and that explains why Russia is acting like this. Russia is simply defending itself,” he said.

But Ortega’s support of Putin’s bellicose position is no surprise and a recent ADN America report warned that a rise in left-wing, authoritarian leaders in the region has opened the door to nations hostile to the U.S.  

Last month, a new study from The Center for a Secure Free Society (SFS) warned that “In early December, a Nicaraguan delegation headed by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo’s two sons and Argentine President Alberto Fernandez met with Russian diplomats in Moscow to discuss strengthening relations between the respective countries.”

The report continued to caution that Russia’s ambitions are not strictly political, but rather also have a militaristic angle.

“The country’s efforts to export military hardware around the world have intensified,” the report reads. “Russia’s Military-Industrial Company is already in talks with Uruguay and Venezuela to export armored personnel carriers (APCs) and other armored vehicles. Meanwhile, the Peruvian government put into force an agreement on mutual protection of classified information within its technical-military cooperation with Russia.”

Ultimately, “Latin America’s neo-socialist wave may open up new engagements for Russia in the region, as Moscow shores up support from traditional allies.”

Yuri Borisov, Russia's deputy prime minister, visited Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba last week and declared that Russia would work to deepen bilateral ties with its authoritarian, Latin American allies.

Since last year’s fraudulent election, the Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Nicaraguan officials and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols stated Ortega's regime is presently on the road to expulsion from the Organization of American States.