The United States Government reminded the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, usually hostile against the Americans, that it is “the largest foreign investor” that Nicaragua has. This Friday, April 8, the US embassy in Managua, through its social networks, highlighted that they injected 444 million dollars in 2021 into the Nicaraguan economy.
“US investment generates jobs and drives economic growth in vital sectors of the Nicaraguan economy, such as manufacturing, energy and services,” indicates the US Embassy publication.
The data cited by the United States coincides with that of the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN), whose president, Ovidio Reyes, described as “miraculous” the 52.7% increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 2021, comparing the data with 2020.
Nicaragua’s Foreign Direct Investment closed at 1,470.1 million dollars in 2021, equivalent to 10.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to official data.
Injection of US capital in Nicaragua
At the beginning of February, the American embassy started a series of posts related to the economic contribution of that country. According to the review of CONFIDENTIALthere are seven publications published on social networks, among which it was mentioned that “the United States is Nicaragua’s largest trading partner, representing a third of imports and 60% of total exports.”
Another publication highlights that “The US is the main market for Nicaraguan beef.” Local exports of this product to the US, according to the embassy publication, “reached a record amount of 361 million dollars in 2021, supporting the sustainability of 650,000 jobs and more than 100,000 ranchers.”
They also highlighted that Nicaragua imports 68% of the oil and derivatives it consumes from the US, which, they assured, “constitutes an indispensable source of energy to boost the local economy and sustain millions of jobs.”
The Government of the United States recalled that Nicaragua “sells more than it buys” to that country, highlighting that this has contributed “creating jobs and economic growth.”
Allies of the regime inject little into the economy
The Ortega Murillo regime, on repeated occasions, has accused the United States of attacking Nicaragua for the sanctions they imposed on Nicaraguan officials and institutions for violating the rights of Nicaraguans and repressing citizen protests in April 2018. Or for acts of corruption. .
The dictatorship accuses the United States of financing a supposed coup d’état as they describe the peaceful protests that called for a change of government four years ago and were violently repressed, leaving hundreds dead.
In contrast to its attacks on Americans, Ortegaism has supported authoritarian regimes such as Cuba, Venezuela and Russia. However, the contributions of these “allies” are not notable in the Nicaraguan economy.
Russia, one of Ortega’s main partners, did not appear among the main investors in Nicaragua, a list dominated by Panama (185.2 million dollars), Mexico (167.5 million dollars), Spain (108 million dollars), and Costa Rica. ($41.8 million).
Nicaragua’s economy grew by 10.3% in 2021, for the first time after three years in the red, in which GDP shrank by an average of -3.03% per year in the 2018-2020 period.
The economic growth shown by Nicaragua in 2021 was favored by increased trade, increased external demand and international prices of primary goods according to the Central Bank of Nicaragua.
