Relationship dossier
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Nicaragua
Relationship assessment
Dutch criticism and the end of bilateral aid preceded Nicaragua’s 2022 termination of diplomatic relations.
Kingdom of the Netherlands toward Nicaragua
-20The Netherlands ended bilateral development cooperation with Nicaragua amid concerns about repression and has criticized the Nicaraguan government’s human-rights record.
Nicaragua toward Kingdom of the Netherlands
-50In 2022, Nicaragua terminated diplomatic relations with the Netherlands, objecting to Dutch conduct and statements it described as interference.
Overall relationship
-35Dutch concerns about repression and the end of bilateral development cooperation have been met by Nicaragua’s termination of diplomatic relations. These actions mark a substantially strained relationship, though the scope of later official contact is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations have been marked by Dutch criticism of the Nicaraguan government’s human-rights record and a major diplomatic rupture. The Netherlands ended bilateral development cooperation with Nicaragua amid concerns over repression. In 2022, Nicaragua terminated diplomatic relations with the Netherlands, objecting to Dutch statements and conduct it characterized as interference. The scope of subsequent official contact is unclear.
Areas of tension
- Dutch criticism of the Nicaraguan government’s human-rights record
- Nicaragua’s objection to Dutch conduct it characterized as interference
Key developments
The Netherlands ended bilateral development cooperation with Nicaragua amid concerns about repression.
Nicaragua terminated diplomatic relations with the Netherlands, citing Dutch conduct it characterized as interference.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of Dutch development cooperation and its implementation after the decision to end bilateral aid are unclear.
- The scope of official contact following Nicaragua’s 2022 decision to terminate diplomatic relations is unclear.