The Ministry of the Interior (Migob) canceled another hundred NGOs: 49 nationals and 51 foreigners, accused of not complying with Nicaraguan legislation. With these latest annulments, the Ortega regime adds 2,381 organizations stripped of their legal status from the end of December 2018 to date.
The foreign NGOs eliminated by an administrative resolution, published this Wednesday, October 12 in La Gaceta, They originate from 17 countries: Germany, Austria, Costa Rica, Spain, France, United States, Italy, Guatemala, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Canada, Holland, Norway, England, Panama, Denmark and Belgium.
According to the Migob, these organizations were not registered as foreign agents, being obligated subjects, nor did they report for more than five to thirty years their boards of directors from the country of origin, update of the power of attorney of the legal representative and financial statements according to fiscal periods, with detailed breakdowns of income and expenses. For these reasons, their records and assigned perpetual numbers were closed.
In total, the regime has eliminated 161 NGOs of foreign origin between August 2021 and October 2022. Among the last closed are Nica Aid, originally from Canada; Mercy Ships, from the United States; Austrian Institute for North-South Cooperation, from Austria; Association Medecins Du Monde, from France; Danish Association of the Disabled, of Denmark and others. See the full list here.
Dismantling of civil society
The Ortega regime’s crusade against organized civil society, intensified this year, with the closure of 2,307 NGOs, has affected more than a million Nicaraguans who benefited from various social programs, revealed an investigation by the Inter-American Dialogue.
The Migob justifies the closure of foundations, organizations and associations for alleged non-compliance with the country’s legislation. In the ministerial agreement published this Tuesday, October 12 in La Gaceta, the closure of 49 national organizations is ordered, the ministry accuses them of being “abandoned” and “having between 7 and 32 years of non-compliance with their obligations under the laws that regulate them”. However, the Inter-American Dialogue investigation found that 53% of the universe of 1,000 NGOs they analyzed were carrying out projects that remained unfinished.
In addition, several former directors of other closed Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) indicated that they faced obstacles in complying with legal requirements and even after removing their legal status, they struggle with the General Directorate of Revenue (DGI) to close according to the law and avoid future retaliation.
Among the NGOs closed this Tuesday are the Josefino Pastoral Service Association, the Discovery Investigation Center Foundation, the Christian Ministry Association, the Association of Veterinary Doctors of Nicaragua, the Association of United Farm Producers, the Christian Diffusion Chain Association, and others. See full list.
