As of Monday, official media remained silent about the closing ceremony of the international conference titled “Current Issues in Combating Drug Trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean,” held on November 1. The event was organized by the Russian Ministry of the Interior’s Training Center in Managua, Nicaragua, with the Iranian chargé d’affaires in Managua, Moslem Chenari, in attendance.
Among those present at the Russian Training Center—which opposition figures and experts have labeled as a potential espionage hub—were prominent officials including the director of the Ortega-aligned Police, Francisco Díaz; the presidential security advisor, Horacio Rocha; Russia’s new ambassador, Mikhail Ledenev; and the Iranian chargé d’affaires in Managua, among others.
Although the Russian Embassy in Managua shared images of the event, they did not mention Chenari’s name or those of the other attendees. However, Chenari appears in the photographs, and Iran’s flag is displayed alongside others hoisted inside what critics have labeled as a Russian espionage center. This marks the first publicly visible connection between Russia’s alleged espionage center and Iran, adding further evidence of the deepening relationship between Iran and Nicaragua, a bond that strengthened significantly in 2023.
A dangerous “game”
International analyst Sergio Araya believes this gathering shows that the Ortega-Murillo regime is endangering Central America by allowing external actors to engage in “geopolitical games” in the region.
“Even if Nicaragua is merely providing the space, it is involving Central America in this global geopolitical power dynamic, where the main players are others, but Central American territory serves as a stage for these actors to carry out their own agendas. This is a sensitive issue,” Araya stated to La Prensa.
He added, “this sends a message to the United States that two of its main adversaries are coordinating and aligning strategies for potential actions in Nicaragua,” which, in his view, could heighten regional tensions.
Araya also explained that in the current geopolitical climate, Iran and Russia are seeking closer ties and are seizing any opportunity available, including those offered by Nicaragua.
Ortega has strengthened relations with US adversaries
Diplomatic relations between Russia and Iran in Nicaragua grew closer in October 2023. According to a post on the X account of the Russian Embassy in Nicaragua, then-Russian Ambassador Alexander Khokhólikov met with Chenari at the Russian diplomatic headquarters, although no details of their discussions were disclosed.
Additionally, in 2023, Iran’s then-president, Ebrahim Raisi, visited Nicaragua and signed three cooperation agreements with the Ortega-Murillo regime, including one involving the judicial systems of both countries.
Commenting on the closeness between Iran and Nicaragua’s regime, Israel’s ambassador to Costa Rica, Mijal Gur Aryeh, stated in an interview with La Prensa on October 16 that “Iran is a partner of the Ortega regime—a very, very dangerous partner. In fact, we now have a terrorism base in Central America, which is concerning not only for Costa Rica but for the entire region.”
Ramón Moncada also participates in Iranian event
Nicaragua’s ambassador to Iran, Ramón Moncada—who is also the brother of former Foreign Minister Denis Moncada Colindres—attended the summit of the “Global Coalition Against Evil” to “condemn the genocide by the (Israeli) regime in Palestine.”
According to Nicaragua’s official media, the event was attended by Iran’s Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, along with ambassadors from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Yemen.
No further details were provided about these meetings, but official Nicaraguan media reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi urged Latin American countries “to stop Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and Lebanon.”
In October 2017, the inauguration of this center took place, focusing on the training of police officers from Central America. The dictatorship has maintained strict secrecy regarding the activities conducted at the Russian Ministry of the Interior’s Training Center in Managua, which has been established in Nicaragua for seven years and was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on May 15, 2024.
However, according to Visión Policial, the magazine of the National Police serving the Ortega regime, reveals that the Training Center serves as a training platform for officials and police forces from at least 13 countries, including some nations beyond Central America.