The Colombian official was present at the local celebrations for the anniversary of the triumph of the Sandinista revolution led by Daniel Ortega. The Colombian Foreign Ministry called the ambassador to render accounts. The actions of the diplomatic representative do not agree with the critical discourse of the Government of Gustavo Petro for the human rights situation in the Central American nation.
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An act of “frank diplomacy” by León Freddy Muñoz, Colombian ambassador in Nicaragua, which has been widely criticized and may bring consequences. The official representative of the Colombian government appeared in a video dressed in the red and black scarf used by the Sandinista guerrillas in their fight against Somoza and a cap in which the flag of the revolutionary movement led by Daniel Ortega could be identified.
The context did not help him much either: the celebration of the anniversary of the Sandinista victory. Muñoz participated in the march that the Ortega-Murillo government organizes every year to celebrate the arrival of the guerrillas to power, a party that increasingly sees its support diminished given the existing difficulties in the country and the restrictions on freedom that there they live.
“This is admirable, what I have felt since September 30 when I arrived in Nicaragua when I am ambassador. It is a happy town, a friendly town, a beautiful town and above all a town that is convinced of its revolution”, said the ambassador in statements to the press after participating in the event.
Bogota reacted immediately. The statements by the head of the diplomatic delegation in Managua did not reach the ears of the Colombian Foreign Minister, Álvaro Leyva, with much affection, who according to local media such as the station ‘W Radio’, called him at the Palacio de San Carlos, headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Colombian, to give explanations.
The ambassador’s reaction in no way represents the opinion of the government and its president, Gustavo Petro, who has become a direct critic of the lack of freedoms in the Central American nation. Last February, Petro spoke out loud on his personal Twitter account about the Sandinista strategy of withdrawing Nicaraguan nationality from a group of opponents.
I reiterate Latin America must be a space without political prisoners and without social prisoners. Any violation of human rights must be condemned by the entire international community. My solidarity with the 94 Nicaraguans who were stripped of their nationality.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) February 20, 2023
“I reiterate, Latin America must be a space without political prisoners and without social prisoners. Any violation of human rights must be condemned by the entire international community. My solidarity with the 94 Nicaraguans who were stripped of their nationality, ”he said at the time.
It was not a good time either due to the border dispute between the two nations. The celebration of León Freddy Muñoz was announced ad portals of the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Nicaragua’s demand to extend, by some 200 nautical miles, the delimitation of the continental shelf with Colombia.
“Dismissal or resignation”
In an analysis carried out before one of the most important channels in the country, Caracol television, former Foreign Minister María Emma Mejía considered some of the outcomes in which this situation could result. “Either dismissal or resignation” considered the former head of Colombian diplomacy from July 1996 to March 1998.
“There are those who think that it could even be a betrayal of the homeland. It is very rare and it is like the number one rule that one is taught in diplomacy, in the diplomatic career, or in the induction that is given to ambassadors who have never been ambassadors and perhaps do not have that experience, who do not it is possible to participate, as the ambassador did in political activism”.
According to Mejía, he was not an ordinary citizen participating in a march and “less so with identification (…) from one or another political party. It is absolutely forbidden for a representative of the Colombian president abroad to participate in demonstrations”, he concluded.
The outlet detailed Emma Mejía’s comment that this situation is part of a “fundamental problem” of the current government, for allegedly having “very few appointments” of diplomatic career officials in their legations.
Freddy Munoz responds
On his Twitter account, Ambassador León Fredy Muñoz responded to the criticisms made of him. “The ambassador’s relationship with the Government of Nicaragua must be strategic in order to carry out the best representation of Colombia, which must stop being seen solely as a symbol or a decorative figure,” argued Muñoz.
Given the efforts of the Embassy and the relations of the protocol between governments, it is my obligation as Ambassador to participate in meetings and/or important activities for the Government. pic.twitter.com/w9vmYiF6IT
— Leon Fredy Muñoz (@LeonFredyM) July 11, 2023
The diplomatic representative defended his behavior with what he called “frank diplomacy.” Words with which President Gustavo Petro tries to position his country’s relations with his similar ones in the world.
León Freddy Muñoz ended the defense of his position with an interpretation of his role in Nicaragua. “Given the efforts of the embassy and the relations of the protocol between governments, it is my obligation as ambassador to participate in important meetings and activities for the Sandinista Government (…) this beyond legal strategies in The Hague or in multilateral organizations ”, he pointed out at the end.
With EFE and local media
