Resumo

SZENTE-VARGA, Mónika. Cold Relations in the Cold War: Hungary and Nicaragua. Secuencia [online]. 2020, n.108, e1808.  Epub 17-Fev-2021. ISSN 2395-8464.  https://doi.org/10.18234/secuencia.v0i108.1808.

This essay analyses, within the framework of the cold war, the political and economic aspects of Hungarian-Nicaraguan relations in the period 1979-1990, based on documents of the Hungarian National Archive. The importance of Latin America derived from its proximity to the United States, having thus a geostrategic and political relevance for the Soviet Union. The principal attraction of the region for Hungary, on the other hand, was the commercial aspect, that of a potential market. There existed discrepancies between the Soviet and the Hungarian objectives. Naturally, Hungary adjusted to the demands of Moscow but tried to sacrifice as little as possible of its own national interests. This contributed to the formation of an abyss between the Nicaraguan expectations for solidarity and the Hungarian performance. Although this essay underlines the spectacular development of bilateral links, which undoubtedly took place, it tries to dissipate the myth of perfect relations.

Palavras-chave : cold war; foreign policy; relations of solidarity; Hungary; Nicaragua.