Is Putin building a base in Nicaragua to spy on US citizens? Fears grow over mystery Russian compound that overlooks an American Embassy in Moscow’s Cold War territory
Nicaraguan officials have said the complex is used for Russia’s GPS satellites
Some American intelligence experts believe the compound could be a spy base
Center is located next to a volcano and provides a clear view of the US embassy
America and Russia had many proxy conflicts in Nicaragua during the Cold War
DAILYMAIL.COM
9 April 2017
US officials are keeping a keen eye on a Russian complex nestled on the edge of a volcanic crater in Nicaragua.
The center, which is believed to be a satellite station, has been built near the Laguna de Nejapa in Managua – the capital of the Central American nation.
The Washington Post reports the local government described the complex as, ‘simply a tracking site of the Russian version of a GPS satellite system’, but not everyone is convinced it isn’t something more sinister.
‘Clearly there’s been a lot of activity, and it’s on the uptick now,’ a US official and expert on Central America, told the newspaper.
Other officials said there are concerns the hub could be a ‘dual use’ facility, meaning it could house equipment and workers with the ability to conduct electronic surveillance against American citizens.
From where the compound is located, it offers those who are based there a clear view of the US Embassy about 10 miles away in the heart of Managua.
One local spoke about the type of people working at the GPS center.
‘I have no idea,’ she told the Times, when asked about rumors it was a spy center, before adding: ‘They are Russian, and they speak Russian, and they carry around Russian apparatuses.’
The increase in activity is the latest in a growing string of similar upticks by Putin’s government in recent years – including sending troops into Crimea, backing Ukrainian separatists, and the country’s involvement in Syria and Iraq.
Security experts, according to the Times, believe this could be different however, as it could be a direct response to American activity in Eastern Europe.
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