The Nicaraguan government announced on Monday the cancellation of the registration of 12 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) due to “voluntary dissolution”, amid a prolonged closure of this type of associations after strong anti-government protests in 2018.
In an announcement published in the official gazette, the Nicaraguan government made official the closure of NGOs, including Swisscontact, a Swiss cooperation agency that operated for 33 years in the Central American nation.
So far there are more than 3,500 non-profit associations closed since the 2018 protests against the government of Sandinista President Daniel Ortega, according to counts by human rights organizations.
Among the NGOs closed in many cases due to lack of funds to continue operating in the country are those dedicated to cultural, sports, environmental and religious activities, the notice in the gazette stated.
The Sandinista government alleges that many NGOs supported the 2018 social revolt, which ended with more than 300 deaths.
One of the most sensitive closures was the cancellation in 2023 of the legal personality of the Jesuits and the confiscation of all their assets in the country, which was also seen as an attempt by the Government to “suffocate” the Catholic Church in that nation.
Just in September, the United Nations Human Rights Office (UN-HR) said in a report that the increase in arbitrary detentions, intimidation of opponents, mistreatment in custody and attacks against indigenous peoples indicate that the situation of Human rights in Nicaragua worsened “seriously” since last year.
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