Nicaragua: Foreign Relations

Nicaragua's foreign relations have been shaped since 1979 by the Sandinista revolution and the ensuing Contra war, which brought the country into direct conflict with U.S.-backed forces during the 1980s. The Sandinista National Liberation Front returned to power in 2007, and Nicaragua's foreign policy has since increasingly aligned with non-Western and left-leaning governments. Nicaragua formally withdrew from the Organization of American States in November 2023, completing a two-year denunciation process launched after its contested 2021 elections.

As of 2026, relations between Nicaragua and the United States remain severely strained. Washington has imposed a series of sanctions on Nicaraguan officials and relatives connected to the Ortega-Murillo government over human rights concerns and revenue from the country's gold sector, with additional sanctions added in February and April 2026. Under the Ortega-Murillo government, Nicaragua has responded by deepening military, economic, and political ties with Russia, China, Venezuela, and Cuba, including expanded defense cooperation with Moscow and diplomatic recognition of Beijing over Taiwan since 2021.

Nicaragua remains a member of the United Nations and continues to participate in regional groupings aligned with Venezuela and Cuba, including the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA). Although no longer part of the OAS, Nicaragua has continued to face scrutiny from the organization's member states, which have repeatedly condemned human rights conditions in the country, including a formal condemnation by OAS foreign ministers in June 2026. Nicaragua's foreign policy continues to emphasize sovereignty and noninterference rhetoric alongside close alignment with governments critical of Washington.