Editing Daniel Ortega (section)

===Foreign policy===
[[File:Dmitry Medvedev 18 December 2008-6.jpg|thumb|Ortega with Russian President [[Dmitry Medvedev]] in Russia on 18 December 2008]]

Soon after the 2006 election, Ortega paid an official visit to Iran and met [[Iranian President]] [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]]. Ortega told the press that the "revolutions of Iran and Nicaragua are almost twin revolutions ... since both revolutions are about justice, liberty, self-determination, and the struggle against [[imperialism]]".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_6741000/6741829.stm|title=Nicaragua e Irán, 'unión invencible'|last=Hauser|first=Karim|date=11 June 2007|publisher=BBC World Service|access-date=9 March 2019|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711234659/http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_6741000/6741829.stm|archive-date=11 July 2012|url-status=live|language=es|trans-title=Nicaragua and Iran: "Together Invincible"}}</ref>

On 6 March 2008, following the [[2008 Andean diplomatic crisis]], Ortega announced that Nicaragua was breaking diplomatic ties with [[Colombia]] "in solidarity with the [[Ecuador]]ian people".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nicaragua breaks diplomatic relations with Colombia - CNN.com |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/03/06/nic.colombia/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310231615/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/03/06/nic.colombia/index.html |archive-date=10 March 2008 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=edition.cnn.com}}</ref> Ortega also stated, "We are not breaking relations with the Colombian people. We are breaking relations with the terrorist policy practiced by [[Álvaro Uribe]]'s government".<ref>{{Cite news|first=Xuequan |last=Mu |title=Nicaragua breaks off relations with Colombian gov't |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/07/content_7734634.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309162249/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/07/content_7734634.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 March 2008 |publisher=Xinhua News |access-date=6 March 2008}}</ref> The relations were restored with the resolution at a [[Rio Group]] summit held in [[Santo Domingo]], [[Dominican Republic]], on 7 March 2008. At the summit Colombia's Álvaro Uribe, Ecuador's [[Rafael Correa]], Venezuela's [[Hugo Chávez]] and Ortega publicly shook hands in a show of good-will. The handshakes, broadcast live throughout Latin America, appeared to signal that a week of military buildups and diplomatic repercussions was over. After the handshakes, Ortega said he would re-establish diplomatic ties with Colombia. Uribe then quipped that he would send him the bill for his ambassador's plane fare.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://voanews.com/english/2008-03-07-voa73.cfm |title=Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela Agree to End Border Crisis |publisher=[[VOA]] |date=7 March 2008 |access-date=8 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309093506/http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-03-07-voa73.cfm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=9 March 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7284597.stm |title=Leaders say Colombia crisis over |publisher=BBC News |date=8 March 2008 |access-date=8 March 2008 |location=London |archive-date=9 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309022048/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7284597.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 25 May 2008, Ortega, upon learning of the death of [[FARC]] guerrilla leader [[Manuel Marulanda]] in Colombia, expressed condolences to the family of Marulanda and solidarity with the FARC and called Marulanda an extraordinary fighter who battled against profound inequalities in Colombia.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/519/story/546814.html |title=Colombian rebels' loss of leader ends an era |first=Tyler |last=Bridges |newspaper=Miami Herald |date=25 May 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://espanol.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/080525/latinoamerica/latinoamerica_farc_marulanda_ortega_sol |agency=Reuters |date=25 May 2008 |language=es |title=Ortega expresa condolencias a FARC por muerte líder |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527052757/http://espanol.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/080525/latinoamerica/latinoamerica_farc_marulanda_ortega_sol |archive-date=27 May 2008 }}</ref> The declarations were protested by the [[Colombian government]] and criticized in the major Colombian media outlets.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pésame de Ortega causa estupor • Archivo |url=http://archivo.elnuevodiario.com.ni/politica/238361-pesame-ortega-causa-estupor/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 October 2022 |website=El Nuevo Diario |access-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020125248/http://archivo.elnuevodiario.com.ni/politica/238361-pesame-ortega-causa-estupor/ }}</ref>

[[File:Ortega Lula - ABr 28.07.20102225.JPG|thumb|Ortega with [[President of Brazil|Brazilian President]] [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]] at [[Itamaraty Palace]] in [[Brasília]], 28 July 2010.]]

On 2 September 2008, during ceremonies for the 29th anniversary of the founding of the [[Sandinista Popular Army|Nicaraguan army]], Ortega announced that "Nicaragua recognizes the independence of [[South Ossetia]] and [[Abkhazia]] and fully supports the [[Russian government]]'s position". Ortega's decision made Nicaragua the second country (after Russia) to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 3, 2008 |title=Nicaragua recognizes South Ossetia, Abkhazia |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN03304386/ |access-date=January 21, 2024 |publisher=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

<!--Note on the term "China". Nicaragua recognizes the ROC as the rightful government of China.-->
[[File:01.10 總統與尼加拉瓜總統奧德嘉(José Daniel Ortega Saavedra)雙邊會晤 (32074399712).jpg|thumb|Ortega with the president of the Republic of China [[Tsai Ing-wen]], 10 January 2017]]
Under Ortega's leadership, Nicaragua joined the [[Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas]].

When seeking office, Ortega threatened to cut diplomatic recognition with the [[Republic of China]] ([[Taiwan]], formerly Nationalist China) in order to restore relations with the [[Mainland China|Mainland]]-based [[People's Republic of China]] (as in the period from 1985 to 1990) as the legal government of China. But he did not do so. In 2007 Ortega stated that Nicaragua did not accept the [[One China Policy]] of the PRC government and that Nicaragua reserved the right to maintain official diplomatic relations with the ROC. He reassured President Chen Shui Bian in 2007 that Nicaragua would not break diplomatic relations with the ROC. He explained that during the Reagan administration the United States imposed sanctions on Nicaragua. But cutting ties with Taipei was a sad and painful decision because of the friendship between Nicaragua and Taiwan's people and government. Ortega met with the ROC President [[Ma Ying-jeou]] in 2009 and both agreed to improve the diplomatic ties between both countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/commentary/the-china-post/joe-hung/2009/06/09/211402/Ma-Ying-jeou.htm|title=Ma Ying-jeou shouldn't meet Daniel Ortega|access-date=5 August 2016|archive-date=31 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731210043/http://www.chinapost.com.tw/commentary/the-china-post/joe-hung/2009/06/09/211402/Ma-Ying-jeou.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> However, with a trade show from China (PRC) in Managua in 2010, he is attempting a two-track policy to get benefits from both sides. In 2016 Nicaragua and China (ROC) signed an air services agreement and Ortega stated that Nicaragua's free trade deal with the ROC had benefited both nations. The ROC increased its investment in Nicaragua.<ref>{{citation|url=http://solpropertygroup.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/nicaragua-seeks-economic-relations-with-china-the-nica-times-the-nica-times-costa-rica-newspaper-the-tico-times/ |title=Nicaragua seeks economic relations with China |first=Tim |last=Rogers |date=14 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721183306/http://solpropertygroup.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/nicaragua-seeks-economic-relations-with-china-the-nica-times-the-nica-times-costa-rica-newspaper-the-tico-times/ |archive-date=21 July 2011 }}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=September 2021}} In December 2021, Nicaragua once again switched recognition with the PRC.

In September 2010, after a US report listed Nicaragua as a "major" drug-trafficking centre, with Costa Rica and Honduras, Ortega urged the US Congress and [[Obama administration]] to allocate more resources to assist the fight against drug trafficking.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/21/1834482/us-adds-three-nations-to-drug.html|title=U.S. adds three nations to drug-traffic-hub list – Americas – MiamiHerald.com<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=[[Miami Herald]]}}</ref><ref>"transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing" {{citation|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2086.html|title=Field Listing :: Illicit drugs|publisher=CIA|access-date=21 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229044611/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2086.html|archive-date=29 December 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

During the [[2011 Libyan Civil War|Libyan Civil War]], Ortega was among the [[International reactions to the 2011 Libyan civil war|very few leaders]] who spoke out in clear defense of the embattled [[Muammar Gaddafi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.aljazeera.net/africa/2011/02/22/live-blog-libya-feb-22|title=Live Blog – Libya Feb 22|work=Al Jazeera Blogs|access-date=22 February 2011|archive-date=26 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426103127/http://blogs.aljazeera.net/africa/2011/02/22/live-blog-libya-feb-22|url-status=live}}</ref> During a telephone conversation between the two, Ortega told Gaddafi that he was "waging a great battle to defend his nation"<ref>Al Jazeera (24 February 2011). {{YouTube|u-HvdqjsqXM|''Latin America divided over Gaddafi''}}</ref> and stated that "it's at difficult times that loyalty and resolve are put to the test."<ref>{{Cite news|title=Gaddafi vows to fight until 'the end'|last=Raghavan|first=Sudarsan|date=23 February 2011|newspaper=The Washington Post|at=A1|via=Factiva}}</ref>

Ortega has said that Assad's victory in the [[2014 Syrian presidential election|2014 election]] is an important step to "attain peace in Syria and a clear cut evidence that the Syrian people trust their president as a national leader and support his policies which aim at maintaining Syria's sovereignty and unity".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://syriatimes.sy/index.php/presidential-elections/13206-nicaragua-s-ortega-congratulates-president-al-assad-on-winning-elections|title=syriatimes.sy - Nicaragua's Ortega Congratulates President Al-Assad on Winning Elections|work=syriatimes.sy|access-date=18 September 2017|archive-date=23 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023192357/http://syriatimes.sy/index.php/presidential-elections/13206-nicaragua-s-ortega-congratulates-president-al-assad-on-winning-elections|url-status=live}}</ref>

Ortega attended the swearing-in ceremony of [[Nicolás Maduro]] for his second term on 10 January 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-46821653|title=Venezuela's Maduro begins second term|date=10 January 2019|publisher=BBC News|access-date=5 April 2020|language=en-GB|archive-date=10 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110231014/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-46821653|url-status=live}}</ref>

In an interview with [[Max Blumenthal]] in August 2019, Ortega stated that he was open to the idea of [[Bernie Sanders]] (who had visited him in 1985) winning the US presidency [[2020 United States presidential election|in 2020]] and that Sanders's message "goes in the right direction for the U.S. to become a pole of peace, development, and cooperation".<ref>{{cite web |title=Daniel Ortega dice que le gustaría que Bernie Sanders ganara las elecciones presidenciales de 2020 |url=https://www.univision.com/local/miami-wltv/daniel-ortega-dice-que-le-gustaria-que-bernie-sanders-ganara-las-elecciones-presidenciales-de-2020-video |publisher=Univision |access-date=24 August 2019 |archive-date=22 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822222019/https://www.univision.com/local/miami-wltv/daniel-ortega-dice-que-le-gustaria-que-bernie-sanders-ganara-las-elecciones-presidenciales-de-2020-video |url-status=live }}</ref>