RIO DE JANEIRO: The Brazilian government has decided to expel Nicaragua’s ambassador to Brazil, Fulvia Patricia Castro, after Managua kicked out its own top diplomat, a Brazilian diplomatic source told AFP on Thursday.
Relations between the two countries have soured in recent months, with Nicaragua reacting “unfortunately” by expelling Brazil’s ambassador after he recently skipped an official ceremony, with Brasilia now retaliating, the source said.
According to several exiled Nicaraguan opposition media outlets, the July 19 event was a commemoration of the Nicaraguan Sandinista revolution that eventually led to President Daniel Ortega’s rise to power.
After Nicaragua’s decision to expel Ambassador Bren de Souza, “Brazil responded by saying it was not a productive path,” the source said.
Nicaraguan authorities have not commented on any expulsions.
Relations between the two left-led countries cooled after Ortega ignored attempts by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to broker talks at Pope Francis’ request to help secure the jailed bishop’s release.
In January, Nicaragua released two Roman Catholic bishops, 13 priests and three seminarians and sent them to Rome, according to exiled opposition media.
Later on Thursday, the Nicaraguan government said it had released seven priests detained last week and sent them to Rome.
