Tiziano Breda, researcher on Latin America at the Istituto Affari Internazionali: “Withdrawing the approval of the proposed E.U. ambassador is just the latest diplomatic affront that President Ortega directs to any international actor that publicly denounces the Kafkaesque repression of dissent taking place in Nicaragua. Targets of this intransigence include not only great powers, but also regional countries and even the Vatican. Nonetheless, it is another step in the deteriorating diplomatic relations between Nicaragua and Europe, following the former’s decision to suspend relations with the Netherlands and declare the former E.U. ambassador ‘persona non grata,’ reciprocated by Brussels. Something similar occurred in Venezuela in 2021, but there are two key differences: it responded to the imposition of sanctions, not just a statement, and it was soon reversed after quiet conversations. Ortega’s apparently unconcerned defiance of the European Union stems in part from…”