MANAGUA – The head of Nicaragua's Foreign Affairs Commission denies that the recent approval of foreign troop arrivals in Nicaragua is related to the crisis in neighboring Honduras.

Based on a Sept. 23 “urgent request” from President Daniel Ortega, the National Assembly quickly approved entrance into Nicaragua of 10 U.S. Special Forces troops and 30 Venezuelan troops, scheduled to arrive in October and November, reportedly for “humanitarian” and training purposes.

According to Nicaragua's constitution, the presence of any foreign troops in the country must be approved in advance by the National Assembly.

Opposition lawmaker Francisco Aguirre, president of the Foreign Affairs Commission, said the request “certainly didn't raise any suspicions.”

“Am I naive? Perhaps,” Aguirre told The Nica Times in an email. “But I honestly don't think any of this has to do with Honduras.”

Aguirre said that if there were any covert military actions planned against the de-facto Honduran government of Roberto Micheletti, those operations would be “completely invisible." 

“The actors have no interest in having the National Assembly give them a green light,” the lawmaker said of conspirators. “Like mushrooms, they prefer moist, dark spaces to prosper.”

According to the congressional approval, 10 U.S. Special Forces troops, along with the USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship, are authorized to enter Nicaragua from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31. The 30 Venezuelan troops, along with ships and Venezuelan Air Force planes, are authorized to enter the country on a rotating basis from Nov. 1, 2009 to April 10, 2010.