In a country in Central America, the Vatican embassy has closed.

The Vatican's chargé d'affaires left Nicaragua on Friday, following the closure of its embassy at the government's request. Earlier this month, Pope Francis made harsh comments about the Nicaraguan leadership over its treatment of the Catholic Church. On Monday, Nicaragua's Foreign Ministry announced that it had suspended diplomatic relations with the Vatican, asking that it shut down its mission in the country. The Holy See had expressed concern about the upsurge of violence across the country, and the shrinking of space for dialogue and negotiations between authorities and civil society in recent years. Pope Francis himself suggested that Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is "mentally unbalanced." He cited the 26-year-long sentence handed down to Catholic Bishop Rolando Alvarez last month by a Nicaraguan court on charges of undermining the government, spreading false information, obstruction of functions and disobedience.

Ortega was quick to blame the US involvement for the unrest, insisting that the opposition was attempting to stage a coup. Relations between the Catholic church and Nicaraguan government have been on a downward trajectory since mass protests began back in 2018.