Brazil cuts ties with Nicaragua as it rethinks links with leftist authoritarians

Two countries expel each other's ambassadors amid growing tensions between Lula and Venezuela's Maduro

Brazil and Nicaragua have expelled each other's ambassadors in a tit-for-tat diplomatic row, as Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, appears to recalibrate his approach to authoritarian leftist rulers who were once seen as allies.

The dual expulsions this week came amid growing tensions between Lula and another supposedly progressive leader, Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, whose claim of re-election the Brazilian president has yet to acknowledge. Lula and his counterparts in Colombia and Mexico have called on Maduro to release voting tallies from all polling stations to support his win.