MANAGUA — The Dominican Republic announced on October 2 that it is withdrawing its embassy from Nicaragua, citing ongoing conditions affecting freedoms and democratic principles in the country.

Foreign Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó made the announcement during an Organization of American States meeting in Washington, D.C., stating the measure “reflects its foreign policy commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”

The withdrawal is the latest step in a months-long diplomatic rupture between the two countries. It began in July, when President Daniel Ortega declared Nicaragua “will not have elections again,” prompting Dominican President Luis Abinader to recall his ambassador from Managua on July 23.

Nicaragua responded by accusing Dominican officials of acting as “vassal voices” for foreign interests, and its National Assembly later approved a constitutional reform extending presidential terms to seven years while barring opposition figures labeled “traitors to the homeland” from holding office.

Nicaragua moved first on embassy closures, shuttering its own embassy in Santo Domingo on September 9.

With both countries now without embassies in the other’s capital, the diplomatic break between the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua is effectively complete, driven by the Dominican government’s explicit rejection of Ortega’s moves to eliminate competitive elections and entrench his rule.