Top Russian military brass visits Nicaragua

A top level military delegation from Russia is visiting Nicaragua this week to further cement tightening bilateral relations between the two countries.

 

Russia’s General Staff Chief Col. Gen. Valery Gerasimov is in Managua for a three-day visit aimed at advancing Russia’s political-military cooperation with Nicaragua. Gerasimov is the highest ranking Russian military official to visit Nicaragua in the new era of cozying relations between Moscow and Managua.

On Sunday, the Russian military chief and his Nicaraguan counterpart, Gen. Julio Cesar Aviles, jointly inaugurated a new Russian-donated munitions destruction facility outside of Managua. The plant will serve the dual purpose of destroying old stockpiled munitions that are no longer useful and reactivating older munitions to “avoid expenses in buying new munitions,” according to Gen. Aviles.  

“Even beyond military use, there are other benefits to the country because the gunpowder or elements extracted from old munitions can be used perfectly in a project of national importance,” Gen. Aviles said, without elaborating.

Gerasimov, for his part, said it was a “great honor” to participate in the inauguration of the munitions destruction facility, which is known by the Nicaraguan military as Base-2.

The Russian military official’s meetings with Nicaraguan military brass will continue today and tomorrow. Gerasimov will also meet with President Daniel Ortega, according to Russian media sources.