Amir Lockman, Israel's consul in Costa Rica, said in an interview Tuesday that the government has reason to believe that Iran-linked terrorist groups are operating freely in Nicaragua, which recently severed diplomatic relations with Israel.
Rockman spoke to Despacho 505 On Tuesday, one of several media outlets in Nicaragua is now operating in exile as a result of communist dictator Daniel Ortega's repressive actions. The interview took place in the context of President Ortega's orders to his country: break This is the third time in nearly 40 years that Ortega has severed diplomatic relations with Israel.
The Israeli diplomat, who described the Nicaraguan regime as a “kleptocracy,” said that Ortega's decision does not surprise Israel or significantly change it, but that Nicaragua is a communist regime with free reign in the Middle East. , said it was an area of ”political concern” for Israel. Eastern terrorist group. Lockman pointed out that Iranian interests, particularly its terrorist proxy, the Shiite jihadist group Hezbollah, “are based in Nicaragua.”
“The Ortega family regime has given free passage not only to Iranian extremists, but also to other terrorist groups operating freely on Nicaraguan soil, and although we do not yet know the purpose of their actions, we are extremely “I'm concerned about that,” Lockman said. .
Lockman explained that Ortega has weakened the strength of bilateral relations with Israel since August 2023, when the administration removed Israel's honorary consulship and denied direct communication or consular visits in Nicaragua. . The Israeli embassy in Costa Rica is currently headed by Ambassador Michal Gar Aliye, who also served in Nicaragua. The consul pointed out that Ortega's government had not issued an official letter to Israel notifying Israel of the severance of diplomatic relations.
Lockman emphasized that the difference between the previous severance of ties with Israel and the recent one is that this time the involvement of Iran and other anti-democratic efforts in Nicaragua has “significantly increased” in recent years. He believes the rift will last longer than before because “the interests of the Iranians, Hezbollah and other anti-democratic groups currently based in Nicaragua are playing a greater role than in past years.” He said there was.
“I can now freely say that I regret that the government of Daniel Ortega does not represent the Nicaraguan people,” Rockman said. “I met many Nicaraguans during my two years in Costa Rica, but I never had the opportunity to meet a Nicaraguan who supported this dictatorship, this kleptocracy.”
“We deplore this regime's decision to choose the welfare of the Iranian government. We do not know what the Nicaraguan people's interest in the Iranian regime is, but the Ortega family They have a lot of interests with people and that's why they chose “to move along this world axis of the Iranian people,'' he continued.
Lochman said severing ties would not have much of an impact on Israel because Israel does not have national interests in Nicaragua that the communist regime could confiscate, but as Iran gains more support in the civil war, “It clearly affects us,” the diplomat stressed. world.
Rockman said it was “strange” that Ortega, a “left-wing and supposedly socialist,” would be allied with religious fundamentalist regimes at “two extremes of the political map.”
“But I agree that a dictatorship is a dictatorship after all, and it doesn’t matter if you preach in the name of socialism. [the other] “Preaching in the name of God,” he continued, “just as the Islamic extremist Iranian regime does not represent the Iranian people, so too does the Ortega regime manipulate and exploit its own people. The government does not represent the Nicaraguan people. ”
The Israeli consul cited Mr. Ortega's accusation that Israel was committing “genocide” in Gaza, which he said the dictator used to justify diplomatic cuts, and Mr. Lockman said that the use of the word genocide was He said the use was “a commercial or advertising success and one of success.” Although it is the largest in recent years, it has nothing to do with reality. ”
“There have been no massacres in Gaza or other places bordering Israel. The accusations we are receiving in this regard are also coming from marginal groups and marginal governments, especially in this case,” Lockman said. spoke.
“The situation in Gaza is serious and distressing, with a major impact on civilians, and we are at war with the Hamas terrorist organization. [Ortega] In Nicaragua, Hamas has seized power and is speaking in the name of the Palestinian people, but Hamas does not represent the interests of the Palestinian people or the people of Gaza, and is literally trying to protect itself and secondly, They are using the people as human shields. “To condemn Israel,” he continued.
Lockman told Nicaraguan news outlets that regimes like Iran engage in sabotage against the free world along with other regimes to promote the idea that they are the “defenders of human rights in the Middle East.” said.
“It's not democracies like Israel, the United States, or Germany. It's authoritarian states like Iran, Syria, or Nicaragua. Only they know the true meaning of human rights, and we can't teach them how to protect human rights.” Let me explain it to you,” Rockman said.
“As a free Israeli who supports international democracy, I am part of the free side of the world, like Germany and the United States, which has values, although not perfect, and one of which is the defense of the state. “Life is,” he continued. “Meanwhile, radicals in Iran, Qatar, Nicaragua, and Venezuela are using democratic discourse to cover up crimes against their own people and distort discourse in the free world.”
