Was a Dutch MEP starting a coup in Nicaragua?

That’s the accusation Nicaraguan president Ortega has made against Hans van Baalen, a member of the European Parliament for the VVD, the Dutch liberal party. According to Ortega, van Baalen had talked to senior officers to gauge their willingness to overthrow the Sandinistian government. Van Baalen of course denies this. This accusations comes after van Baalen had already been asked to leave the country, an action for which the Nicaraguan government later apologised and of which van Baalen was again ignorant, as he had already left the country anyway…

How much of all this is true is difficult to say. To be honest I can’t really see van Baalen, even if he’s a rightwing blowhard, as a coupist. What would be in it for him to get himself involved in this way?