Nicaragua, under the Daniel Ortega regime, has fallen 15 places in the Social Progress Index (IPS), worldwide, in the last 12 years, which means that the State is not providing the population with the minimum standards for that they have access to sufficient food, quality education, as well as security and opportunities for them to develop their full potential.
According to an analysis, published this May 24, by the British magazine specialized in economics, The Economist, and which takes as a source the IPS report produced by Social Progress Imperative, Nicaragua obtained 60.23 points and is ranked 108 out of a total of 170 analyzed, and in terms of social progress it has regressed, as a consequence of the deterioration of important indicators such as freedoms and opportunities for the population.
The Nicaraguan economist in exile, Douglas Castro, explained to Article 66 that the Social Progress Index has a scale from 0 to 100 points; in which, the higher the score, the higher the Social Progress. The qualification is achieved from the measurement of the quality with which each State attends to three aspects that are: basic human needs, foundations of well-being of the people and opportunities for the population.
In 2011, Nicaragua was ranked 93rd, for which reason it is analyzed that as democracy has been deteriorating and freedoms and opportunities have been suppressed, the country’s position in the social progress ranking has been regressing. , explained the economist.
He added that among the measurement parameters to calculate the IPS is whether people feel safe, if they are free from restrictions to exercise their personal rights, that no one is excluded from the opportunity to progress and that the State is using natural resources sustainably. , among other parameters. None of this is in the right direction in Nicaragua.
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“In Nicaragua democracy has deteriorated, there is no freedom of expression and people do not have opportunities, but let’s see how thousands of people have left the country in search of opportunities,” said the economist.
He stressed that social progress is not measured only by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of each country, since economic progress does not always coincide with social progress, especially in totalitarian regimes such as Nicaragua.
The study released by Social Progress Imperative and analyzed by The Economist points out that the countries that have made great strides in some areas, such as meeting basic needs, are the countries that protect and expand freedoms.
By 2022, Norway is in first place, with a score of 90.7. While South Sudan came in last.
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“The region that experienced the largest increase in well-being is East Asia and the Pacific. Taken together, countries improved their SPI score by an average of 18 points between 1990 and 2020.” European countries are another group that are in a good position.
In the case of Latin America, Venezuela, whose economy has contracted by 75% since 201, is the worst scored and they highlight that, in that country, the dictator Nicolás Maduro, strengthened his control over power and has seen “the greatest fall than any country, in its SPI Ranking between 1990 and 2020».
“There is less well-being in those countries that have autocratic regimes, such as Venezuela, which is the one that has regressed the most since 1990. North Korea, the Philippines, Nicaragua,” Castro explained.
