The Vatican's charge d'affaires in Nicaragua, Monsignor Marcel Mbaye Diouf, left the country on Friday, closing the diplomatic delegation, Vatican News
reported on Saturday,
amid tensions between Managua and the Holy See.
"
Yesterday, March 17, the Chargé d'Affaires ai, Monsignor Marcel Diouf, left the country and settled in Costa Rica ,"
Vatican News
reported
, adding that "
under the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, custody of the Apostolic Nunciature and its property has been entrusted to the Italian Republic
".
Read alsoThe influence of Vatican diplomacy still very active
Bishop Marcel Mbaye Diouf had replaced last year the apostolic nuncio (pope's ambassador) in Managua, Bishop Waldemar Sommertag, who had left the country.
This closure “
follows a request from the Nicaraguan government dated March 10
”, specifies Vatican news.
In response to statements by Pope Francis, the Nicaraguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “
a suspension of diplomatic relations is envisaged
”.
François described
the regime of President Daniel Ortega as a "
crude dictatorship ", in an interview with the Argentine daily Infobae.
"
With all due respect, I have no other choice than to think that this leader suffers from an imbalance
," said the pope, who said in February that he was "
concerned
" after the 26-year sentence of prison of Bishop Rolando Alvarez and the expulsion of 222 opponents to the United States, for, among other things, "
undermining national integrity
".
The declarations of the sovereign pontiff intervened after the closing by the Nicaraguan authorities of two universities linked to the Catholic Church.
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