Nicaragua and Spain Engage in Diplomatic Clash
Ambassadors expelled in Managua and Madrid
Diplomatic tensions between the two countries have been constant in recent years, but until now they had not expelled their ambassadors.
HAVANA TIMES – Diplomatic relations between Nicaragua and Spain escalated on Sunday, January 25, 2026, after both countries expelled their respective ambassadors in Managua and Madrid.
The Spanish Government ordered the expulsion of the Nicaraguan ambassador in Madrid and of another diplomat from that country in “strict reciprocity” for the “unjust expulsion” of its ambassador in Managua and of the second-ranking official of the Spanish mission in the Central American country, sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the EFE news agency.
The order to expel the current Nicaraguan ambassador to Spain, Maurizio Alberto Gelli, and another diplomat from the Nicaraguan delegation was issued on Sunday, although it did not come to light until Monday.
In statements to EFE, Gelli —in his post since November 2022— confirmed that Spain had “applied reciprocity” and that he was already on his way to Nicaragua, with a stopover in Rome.
“Each country is sovereign and makes its own decisions,” added the ambassador, who declined to make further comments.
As for the Spanish ambassador in Nicaragua, Sergio Farre Salva, he had been in the position for less than two months. He presented his letters of credence on January 2, 2026.
“The Government of Spain will continue working to have the best possible relations with the brotherly people of Nicaragua,” assured the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Nicaraguan Government has not issued any official statement regarding the expulsion of the Spanish diplomat.
Diplomatic Tensions Between the Two Countries
Tensions between the two countries have been constant in recent years, and in 2021 Daniel Ortega’s regime denounced Spain’s “continuous interference” in Nicaragua’s internal affairs.
In response, the Spanish Government recalled its ambassador in Managua at the time, María del Mar Fernandez-Palacios, for consultations and “categorically” rejected the Nicaraguan Government’s accusations.
Subsequently, in 2023, the Nicaraguan Government expelled and stripped hundreds of diplomats, former state officials, human rights defenders, Sandinista dissidents, opposition members, journalists, academics, students, business owners, and merchants of their nationality.
In response to this situation, Spain offered Spanish nationality to all of them, as well as to other opponents who were still imprisoned in Nicaragua.
Additionally, in March 2025, the Spanish Congress approved a non-binding resolution, supported by the main government and opposition parties, to condemn the “systematic” violation of human rights in Nicaragua, demand the immediate cessation of repression, and push within the EU for increased sanctions against the Nicaraguan regime.
First published in Spanish by Confidencial and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.