Nicaraguan leader blasts Netanyahu and Zelensky as 'devils'

The authoritarian leader of Nicaragua, in his speech, called the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, "spawn of Hitler and the devil."

Daniel Ortega criticized the leaders of Ukraine and Israel on Monday during a televised speech for the police holiday ceremony, according to Nicaraguan media cited by the Politico portal.

“The Israeli government is headed by a prime minister who is the son of the devil. Why? Because he is pursuing a policy of terror and he is [Adolf] Hitler,” Ortega said in his speech.

He then criticized Volodymyr Zelensky. “The prime minister of Israel is Hitler … just like the president of Ukraine is another Nazi, another son of Hitler, wanting to involve NATO in going to war against the Russian Federation,” stated Vladimir Putin's ally.

Ortega has been in power since 2007 and is "widely regarded as a dictator, jailing his political rivals and critics and taking control of state institutions," reports Politico.

Nicaragua maintains close relations with Moscow, which have been strong since the Cold War era.

Nicaragua has also long supported the Palestinian cause and was one of the first countries to recognize the Palestinian state, the portal recalls. Moreover, the country severed diplomatic relations with Israel in 2023, calling Netanyahu's government "fascist" and "genocidal."