On June 1, 2023, a decree issued by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega on May 29, 2023, allowing humanitarian assistance and military exchanges in the second half of 2023 entered into force. (Presidential Decree No. 05-2023, Diario Oficial [D.O.], June 1, 2023.) The decree, which contains a comprehensive plan for the entry of foreign military personnel, aircraft, and vessels into Nicaragua’s national territory to facilitate humanitarian aid, aims to enhance the country’s preparedness for emergencies and foster international cooperation.
The decree also details the following scope of activities to be undertaken by each country authorized to bring military personnel, vessels, and aircraft into Nicaraguan territory:
1. Russian Federation
- Training in humanitarian response.
- Participation in humanitarian aid operations.
- Engagement in search and rescue missions in response to emergencies or natural disasters.
- Collaboration in operations against illegal activities in the maritime space of the Caribbean Sea and Nicaragua’s jurisdictional waters in the Pacific Ocean.
- Exchange of experiences and communication operations to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.
- Training in security and planning of humanitarian aid operations and disaster response.
2. Mexico
- Participation in humanitarian aid
- Exchange of experiences with members of the Nicaraguan Army.
3. Venezuela
- Participation in humanitarian aid
- Involvement in search and rescue missions in response to emergencies or natural disasters.
- Collaboration in operations against illegal activities in the maritime space of the Caribbean Sea and Nicaragua’s jurisdictional waters in the Pacific Ocean.
- Training in security and planning of humanitarian aid operations and disaster response.
- Exchange of experiences and communication operations to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.
4. United States
- Participation in humanitarian aid
- Involvement in search and rescue missions in response to emergencies or natural disasters.
5. Cuba
- Exchange of tactics on humanitarian aid response.
- Participation in humanitarian aid operations.
6. Central American Armed Forces (includes the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras)
- Humanitarian response
- Training and experience exchange regarding humanitarian response.
Moreover, the decree specifies that 50 Nicaraguan military personnel will be sent to each of the following countries — the Russian Federation, the United Mexican States, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and the Republic of Cuba — for humanitarian training and to exchange military experiences. In addition, Nicaraguan military personnel, vessels, and aircraft will be sent to the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras for humanitarian purposes and training and to exchange experiences in accordance with the CFAC (Conferencia de Fuerzas Armadas Centromericanas) framework.
Lastly, the decree provides that Nicaragua will allow the entry of medical equipment and personnel from cooperating countries for emergency healthcare support. All the activities mentioned above will be carried out from July 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023.
Prepared by Stephania Alvarez, Legal Research Fellow, under the supervision of Hanibal Goitom, Chief, Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Division I, Global Legal Research Directorate
Law Library of Congress, October 18, 2023
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