Spain restores Venezuelan, Nicaraguan ambassadors in Madrid

OVIEDO, Spain

Spain’s king received the credentials of new ambassadors from Venezuela and Nicaragua on Wednesday, marking a significant thaw in diplomatic relations after years of tension with both nations.

In December last year, Spain appointed a new ambassador to Venezuela, more than two years after the country withdrew its top envoy in protest against the disputed 2018 Venezuelan elections.

Like many other nations, including the US, Spain recognized Juan Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela in 2019, leading to a diplomatic crisis.

In 2021, Spain recalled its ambassador to Nicaragua after the Nicaraguan government accused Madrid of meddling in domestic politics. Then, in March 2022, Nicaragua withdrew its ambassador to Spain due to “the continuous pressure and interventionist threats.”

The relationship between Madrid and Managua was particularly strained around the 2021 Nicaraguan election when Spain criticized President Daniel Ortega's government for detaining numerous opposition figures and hindering a free and fair vote.

However, dialogue is slowly being restored. In February 2023, Ortega welcomed Spain's new ambassador to Nicaragua.

Maurizio Gell, an Italian who became a naturalized Nicaraguan citizen, has assumed his role as Nicaragua's new ambassador to Spain.

Coromoto Godoy Calderon has also officially taken her post as Venezuela's ambassador to Spain.

Spain is home to more than 220,000 Venezuelans, many of whom have arrived as refugees in recent years.