US suspends aid to Nicaraguan judiciary

The United States suspended all assistance to Nicaragua’s judiciary yesterday, a day after the Supreme Court warned America to stay out of its business, the US Embassy in Managua announced in a written statement.

The suspension of €43m in aid “will stay in effect until the embassy can re-evaluate the programmes that are being carried out in this sector”.

The embassy’s announcement followed days of escalating tensions between Washington and Nicaragua after a Sandinista judge released former president Arnoldo Aleman from prison to loose house arrest on Wednesday, citing health concerns.

The release was widely seen as a goodwill signal from the Sandinistas to the Aleman-dominated centre-right governing party.