Nicaragua Asks EU Ambassador to Leave the Country After Government Identified Bettina Muscheidt as 'Persona Non Grata'

Nicaragua has the EU ambassador leave the country after government officials classified the European Union's representative Bettina Muscheidt as "persona non grata."

Three diplomatic sources noted in a Reuters report the development of Nicaragua ejecting the EU ambassador.

One of the diplomatic sources said that Muscheidt was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, wherein she was declared "non grata" and was notified that she should leave Nicaragua.

Another diplomatic source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, noted that Muscheidt is no longer welcome in Nicaragua.

Two of the diplomatic sources did not provide a detailed timeframe of the EU ambassador's departure, while one of the sources said that she was asked to leave the country on Wednesday.

Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega's government seemed to be making a move on punishing those who seemed to criticize the president after a clampdown on independent media and political opposition over the past few years.

The European Union issued a statement at the United Nations last week, wherein it urged Ortega to "restore democracy" and called for the release of political prisoners and respect for human rights.

EU Ambassador Ejected from Nicaragua

The National News reported that former ambassador to the Organization of American States Arturo McFields tweeted that Muscheidt "has been expelled in a vulgar way." McFields resigns from his post in March.

There have been other diplomatic rejections in Nicaragua in recent months, aside from the EU ambassador's.

A nominee to serve as U.S. ambassador to Nicaragua, Hugo Rodriguez, was also denied in his post by the Nicaraguan government in June.

Vatican's ambassador to Managua, Stanislaw Sommertag, was also declared persona non grata and was ordered to leave in February.

Ortega has been trying to shut out any opposition, with nationwide protests against him erupting in 2018. It resulted in more than 300 deaths, which mostly were at the hands of police.

The Nicaraguan president's main political challengers were also all arrested during last year's presidential election while a broad assault on dissent was enforced.

Daniel Ortega on Opposition

Nicaragua's government has also taken CNN en Español off the air in September. The government did not provide an explanation on why the media outlet was taken out of service, CNN World News. The cable operators carrying the media outlet in the country also did not comment.

The U.S.-based service said in a statement that the government of Nicaragua pulled its television signal, denying its citizens news and information from the network.

Reuters earlier reported that CNN en Español was the only remaining outlet critical of Ortega, which is available to Nicaraguans.

McFields tweeted at the time that taking the media outlet off the air was a sign of "fear, clumsiness, and arrogance." He added that the country wants to have a "society of sheep that would only listen and obey the official narrative."

The media service said that Nicaraguans can still find Spanish-language news on its website.

READ MORE: Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega's Critic Edgard Paralles Picked Up by Two People Not in Police Uniform and Was Detained

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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