LatinNews Daily - 15 July 2024

*Nicaragua’s government led by President Daniel Ortega has announced the signing of various agreements with China to enhance bilateral cooperation. The agreements were signed in Beijing by Laureano Ortega Murillo, the presidential couple’s son and Luo Zhaohui, the president of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (Cidca). On 9 July President Ortega granted “full powers” to his son to sign an agreement with China. The documents signed include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for development cooperation between 2025-2027, an economic and technical cooperation agreement, and a note exchange regarding the supply of buses for public transport in Nicaragua. According to the Nicaraguan government, the agreements, which were signed during the Second High-Level Conference of the Global Shared Action Forum, organised by China, reflect “ongoing cooperation in sectors such as health, energy, housing, food security, transportation, and human resource training”. The two countries established bilateral relations in December 2021 after the Ortega government severed ties with Taiwan.