Netherlands regrets Nicaragua decision to sever ties
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After Nicaragua banned the US envoy from entering the country and cut diplomatic ties with the Netherlands, the latter responds.
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Dutch Foreign Ministry
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands condemned Saturday's decision by Nicaragua to cut diplomatic ties over harboring "interventionist" policies.
"The severing of diplomatic ties is an exceptional step and highly unusual. Nor is it the wish of the Netherlands," a Dutch foreign ministry spokesman told AFP via email.
"It is regrettable that Nicaragua has chosen to respond in this disproportionate way to a critical message about democracy and human rights."
President Daniel Ortega banned US envoy Hugo Rodrigues on Friday from entering Nicaragua on account of his "interfering" behavior. Although Nicaragua already stated that any such visit would be barred in July, the US Senate still confirmed Rodriguez's appointment on Thursday.
Read more: Nicaragua to bar new US Ambassador from entering country
Later in the day, Ortega took into consideration severing ties with the Netherlands after accusing them of harboring "interventionist" policies and after finding out from his Foreign Minister Denis Moncada that a long-promised hospital will no longer be funded.
The Netherlands decided to permanently stop funding for the construction of a hospital in Nicaragua because of the "deteriorating situation in the field of democracy and human rights."
The Dutch said the decision was "not in isolation", adding that "The Netherlands is discussing with the EU partners how we will respond to this move by Nicaragua."
The Dutch Foreign Ministry added that it will be "keeping an eye" on the status of the nearly 100 Dutch living in Nicaragua and will "adjust the travel advice" if necessary.
The Nicaraguan government on Friday criticized the "repeated meddling, interventionist and neocolonialist position of the Kingdom of the Netherlands" for the row.
