Q COSTA RICA — The government of Laura Fernández has recalled its Chargé d’Affaires in Nicaragua, Óscar Julio Solís Rangel, the highest-ranking diplomatic official at the Costa Rican embassy in Managua since 2018, for consultations.
The move comes amid escalating tensions and intense international criticism of the flagrant deterioration of human rights and the transnational espionage and violence perpetrated by the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
Solís Rangel has headed Costa Rica’s diplomatic representation in Managua since August 2018, when the country stopped having an ambassador, following the social unrest and brutal state repression.
In the field of international relations, “recalling for consultations” means that a government requests its ambassador or diplomatic representative to return temporarily to the country to receive first-hand information and learn the exact extent of a situation or problem that has arisen in the country where they are stationed.
The decision is contained in an Executive Agreement, signed on July 27 by President Laura Fernández, which stipulates that Solís Rangel must remain in San José between August 24 and 28 to hold strategic “working meetings.”
Serious deterioration following the assassination of Roberto Samcam
In July, Costa Rica’s Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar Rivera condemned before the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) the assassination of Roberto Samcam, a former Nicaraguan military officer and opponent of the Ortega regime, which occurred in Costa Rica.
During his address, Tovar reiterated Costa Rica’s concern about the deterioration of human rights and democracy in Nicaragua and endorsed the OAS declaration on that country.
Tovar also alerted the inter-American forum about the wave of arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, persecution of the Catholic Church, and the alarming presence of Russian military troops on Nicaraguan soil, in addition to the proliferation of organized crime and illegal mining in the shared border region.
Central America and the International Community Close Ranks
Costa Rica’s diplomatic move is not an isolated one, but rather reflects an accelerating international pressure against the regime. In recent days, governments in the region, such as the Dominican Republic and Panama, took the same measure by recalling their respective heads of diplomatic missions in Managua for consultations, as a sign of rejection of the constant violations of democracy.
Adding to this regional cooling is the firm stance of the new Colombian government of Abelardo de la Espriella, who assumed office on August 7, 2026, which formally announced that it will not maintain diplomatic relations with the Ortega-Murillo regime, citing its unwavering respect for democratic principles and the rule of law.
Furthermore, the severing of relations has transcended the continent. Just a few days ago, the Italian government definitively severed diplomatic ties with Nicaragua. Italy’s decision came as a direct response to the Ortega regime’s continued refusal and open protection of known Italian terrorist Alessio Casimiri, who lives peacefully under the protection of the dictatorship on Nicaraguan soil.