Daniel Ortega cancels 25 NGOs defending environmentalists, women and journalists in Nicaragua

The Nicaraguan regime, through the Ministry of the Interior, ordered the closure of another 25 NGOs, including an association of journalists, an environmentalist and other defenders of women, indigenous people and human rights, reported the Legislative Branch.

In Nicaragua, the Executive of the questioned President Daniel Ortega, with the vote of the Sandinista deputies and their allies, has outlawed at least 87 Nicaraguan NGOs since December 2018.

The Ministry of the Interior has also canceled the registrations and perpetual numbers of six US and six European NGOs.

The National Assembly (Parliament), with a pro-government majority, included the new initiative on Thursday’s agenda, so it is expected to be presented to the plenary.

The NGOs are the Nicaraguan Operation Smile Association, the Dr. Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal Association of Nicaraguan Journalists, and the environmentalist Alexander Von Humboldt Center for the Promotion of Land Development and Environmental Management (Humboldt Center).

Also the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation for Reconciliation and Democracy, the Nicaraguan Foundation for Economic and Social Development (Funides), the Ethics and Transparency Civic Group Foundation, the Foundation for Freedom, and the Vital Voices Association of Nicaragua.

In addition, Ágora Parneships Foundation, Foundation for the Autonomy and Development of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, Civil Association of Youth Entrepreneurs of Nicaragua, Harvard Club Association of Nicaragua, Foundation for Nicaraguan Human Dignity and the Social Club of Matagalpa.

Likewise, the Citizen Crusade for Democracy Foundation, the Kolping-Nicaragua Foundation, the Observation Institute for Democracy and Human Rights Foundation, the March 8 Women’s Collective Civil Association, the Scholarship Fund Foundation for Alumni of the Central American School (Fobeca), the Fund Association of Local Development, and the Nicaraguan Women’s Forum Association.

The others are the Center for Justice and Human Rights Association of the Atlantic Coast, the Christian Center for Human Rights Association and the Center for Violence Prevention Association.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, these 25 NGOs have not reported their financial statements with their detailed breakdowns of income, expenses, trial balance and details of donations (origin, provenance and final beneficiary).

In addition, he argued, they have not reported their boards of directors, which violates the General Law on Non-Profit Legal Entities.

Therefore, that portfolio proposed to cancel the registration of these 25 NGOs within a period of no more than 72 hours.

The assets and shares belonging to these associations/foundations will have prior liquidation, otherwise they will become property of the State, according to the initiative.

Nicaragua has been going through a political and social crisis since April 2018, which has been accentuated after the controversial general elections on November 7, in which Ortega was re-elected for a fifth term, fourth consecutive and second along with his wife, Rosario Murillo, as vice president, with her main contenders in prison.