The U.S. Cannot Afford to Lose Its “Backyard”
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has declared that Nicaragua will no longer hold elections that allow the opposition to take power. At the same time, he is pushing constitutional reforms to extend presidential terms from six to seven years and bar candidates the government labels as “traitors” or “coup plotters” from running.
For Washington, this is about more than democracy. Nicaragua sits in Central America, was once the proposed site of a Chinese-backed canal to rival the Panama Canal, and maintains close political ties with Russia, China, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Each step Nicaragua takes toward America’s strategic rivals gives Washington more reason to increase pressure to protect its traditional sphere of influence. Unlike Cuba, Nicaragua still depends heavily on the U.S. market for exports and benefits from the CAFTA-DR free trade agreement, giving the United States significant economic and trade leverage.
However, Washington is currently focused on the Middle East, meaning Nicaragua is unlikely to be a top priority for now. That does not mean the U.S. will ignore it. It may simply be a matter of timing.
#USA #Nicaragua #CentralAmerica #Geopolitics #Russia #China
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