The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh) condemned the cancellation of legal personalities to 25 non-governmental organizations. Daniel’s regime, through its steamroller of deputies in the National Assembly, made civil society entities illegal this Thursday, March 17.
They are NGOs “that watch over health, education, civil and political rights and the protection of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean Coast,” Cenidh highlighted through its Twitter account.
The organization described the action of the dictatorship as “a direct attack on the right to defend human rights.” In addition, he expressed that it is an act lacking in sanity and that the regime “has shown once again that it is a threat to the people of Nicaragua, mired in poverty, disease and social injustice; wants to destroy any national or international effort focused on creating a new rule of law.
Faced with the new attack by Daniel Ortega, human rights defenders demand more rigorous measures from the international community «and we call on the people of Nicaragua to deepen the fight. Let’s defend our rights.”
Punished by the Foreign Agents Act
The legislative decree approved this Thursday, March 17, with 74 votes in favor, 16 abstentions and one present; ensures that these organizations have not reported their boards of directors and their financial reports according to the fiscal periods and detailed breakdowns as established by law. In addition, the Foreign Agents Law and the Law against Money Laundering are mentioned.
As in other illegalizations of NGOs, the Nicaraguan dictatorship could confiscate the movable and immovable property of these organizations, as happened with Popol Na, Cenidh, universities, Fundación del Río, Cisas, among others.
Related news: Daniel Ortega’s dictatorship “dismantles” 25 NGOs
Although the Assembly and the Ministry of the Interior (Migob) establish that the assets will be liquidated according to the statutes of each organization, in practice it is the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) that distributes what is confiscated, assigning it to institutions such as the Ministry of Health (Minsa).
New NGOs outlawed
The new NGOs canceled are the Nicaraguan Operation Smile Association, the Nicaraguan Association of Journalists Dr. Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, 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, Agora Partnerships 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.
Related news: Ortega regime seeks to annihilate another 25 NGOs
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.
With these new bans, there are already 140 non-profit associations canceled since 2007. In 2018, the dictatorship canceled 99 NGOs, after the social outbreak, and in 2022 it attacked universities.
