An official website of the United States Government Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Nicaragua [Shutterstock]

Nicaragua

Subscribe

International Travel Information

What you need to know before you go: visas, Embassy & Consulate locations, vaccinations, etc.

International Travel Information: Learn More

Current Travel Advisories

Level 3: Reconsider Travel

Learn More
Group of people standing on tarmac with signs reading "COVAX"

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Since October, 2021 the United States has shared 1,988,510 safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses with the people of Nicaragua – free of cost. This includes 1,988,510 Pfizer doses. Of the 1,988,510 vaccine doses, 100% were donated in partnership with COVAX.

President Biden committed the United States to be the world’s arsenal for vaccines, leading an international and coordinated vaccination effort, and announced that the United States will provide 1.2 billion doses of safe, effective vaccines – free of cost – to meet global needs and save lives now. The United States is working with other governments, global initiatives including COVAX and the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), and other partners to get COVID-19 vaccines to where they are needed most.

Learn more about our work Delivering Vaccines and on COVID-19 Recovery.

Highlights

March 31, 2023

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken at an Event Thanking Members of the State Department Workforce Who Helped Welcome 222 Political Prisoners from Nicaragua

February 16, 2023

Nicaragua’s Move to Strip Citizenship from 94 Political Opponents

February 16, 2023

Department Press Briefing – February 16, 2023

February 14, 2023

Managua, Nicaragua: American Nicaraguan School: 2022-2023 Fact Sheet

February 13, 2023

Department Press Briefing – February 13, 2023

Top Tags

Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Office of the Spokesperson China Iran Israel
View all news

U.S. Relationship

View fact sheet

U.S.-Nicaragua Relations

The U.S. government works to advance U.S. interests in Nicaragua by helping the country increase its prosperity, security, and democratic governance. Since Nicaragua’s independence, the country has experienced frequent periods of armed conflict, rebellion, and dictatorships, which have interrupted diplomatic relations with the United States a number of times.

U.S. Assistance to Nicaragua

The United States is the only major international donor that does not provide assistance directly to the Nicaraguan government and U.S. assistance in 2017 was under five percent of the total foreign aid received in the country. U.S. assistance to Nicaragua promotes strengthening of democratic governance, citizen security, and economic prosperity.

Bilateral Economic Relations

President Ortega’s brutal repression has led to a major economic recession, significantly affecting long-term growth prospects for Nicaragua. The country remains the second-poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, despite averaging over four percent GDP growth annually since 1995, and the April 2018 unrest has caused the economy to decline by between 2 and 4 percent.

Nicaragua Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water.

Additional Resources

U.S. Department of State

External Resources

U.S. Department of State

The Lessons of 1989: Freedom and Our Future