The federal government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has licensed Russian troops, planes and ships to deploy to Nicaragua for functions of coaching, legislation enforcement or emergency response
MEXICO CITY — The federal government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has licensed Russian troops, planes and ships to deploy to Nicaragua for functions of coaching, legislation enforcement or emergency response.
In a decree revealed this week, and confirmed by Russia on Thursday, Ortega will enable Russian troops to hold out legislation enforcement duties, “humanitarian support, rescue and search missions in emergencies or pure disasters.”
The Nicaraguan authorities additionally licensed the presence of small contingents of Russian troops for “trade of experiences and coaching.”
Russia’s international ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, advised the Russian information outlet Sputnik that the measure was “routine.”
“We’re speaking a few routine — twice a yr — process for the adoption of a Nicaraguan legislation on the non permanent admission of international navy personnel to its territory in an effort to develop cooperation in numerous areas, together with humanitarian and emergency responses, combatting organized crime and drug trafficking,” Zakharova mentioned.
She famous the legislation additionally authorizes troops from the US, Mexico and different Central American international locations for such functions.
Ortega has been a staunch ally of Russia since his days within the management of the 1979 revolution that ousted dictator Anastasio Somoza. Ortega served as president from 1985 to 1990, earlier than being re-elected to energy in 2007.
Ortega’s authorities arrested dozens of political opposition leaders, together with a lot of the potential presidential candidates, within the months earlier than his re-election to a fourth consecutive time period final yr. His authorities has shut down dozens of nongovernmental teams that he accuses of engaged on behalf of international pursuits to destabilize his authorities. Tens of 1000’s of Nicaraguans have been chased into exile.
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This story, which initially moved on June 9, corrects the spelling of Nicaragua within the headline.
