Nicaragua made a request to the Holy See for the closure of the respective diplomatic headquarters, although there is still no break in diplomatic relations, Vatican sources told EFE this Sunday.

(Also: Pope Francis issues a statement on the regime of Daniel Ortega)

The request has been for the closure of both the nunciature, the Vatican representation in the country of President Daniel Ortega, and the Nicaraguan embassy to the Holy See, specification. Although it would be a first step for the total rupture of diplomatic relations, which has not happened yet.

(Keep reading: Prison and exile: this is being an opponent in the Ortega regime in Nicaragua)

The decision taken by Ortega would have come after an interview was published on the Argentine portal Infobae in which the pope described as «rude dictatorship» the Ortega regime in Nicaragua, one month after the sentence of Rolando Álvarez, bishop of the diocese of Matagalpa, to 26 years and 4 months in prison, according to an interview published this Friday.

(Also read: Nicaragua cancels legal status to 18 business associations)

«It is something that is outside of what we are experiencing, it is as if it were bringing the communist dictatorship of 1917 or the Hitlerite dictatorship of 1935, bringing the same ones here… They are a type of rude dictatorship. Or, to use a nice distinction from Argentina, guarangas,» Francisco said in that interview.

Nicaragua does not have an ambassador to the Holy See since September 21, 2021, when Ortega canceled the appointment of Elliette Ortega Sotomayory only has one counselor minister.

(See also: The crimes against humanity denounced by the UN in Nicaragua)

Likewise, in March of last year, the Nicaraguan government also expelled the apostolic nuncio, Monsignor Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag.

Monsignor Mbaye Diouf, secretary of the Nunciature, is in charge of the Vatican diplomatic mission in Managua.

Last February 21 the Nicaraguan president described the Church as a «mafia» and accused her of being undemocratic for not allowing Catholics to elect the pope, cardinals, bishops and priests by direct vote.

(Also: Sergio Ramírez and Gioconda Belli talk about the stripping of their nationality)

EFE