The Ortega-Murillo dictatorship has so far dismantled 5,200 Non-Governmental Organizations of the 7,227 registered until 2018 in the Ministry of the Interior, leaving around 2,000 organizations active in the country, which represents the elimination of 72 percent of non-profit organizations.
As of March 2023, the Fundación del Río reported that the elimination of these organizations had left 23,483 workers unemployed, with losses exceeding 250 million dollars and some 3.5 million Nicaraguans, beneficiaries of the projects promoted by these organizations, homeless. These numbers have probably doubled with this new blow to the associations.
Most NGOs were religious and charitable in nature, including eight of the social action entities of the Catholic Church. The most recent to be closed by the regime are Caritas of Matagalpa and Granada. Caritas of Nicaragua and Caritas León were voluntarily dissolved, citing “lack of funds.”
Related news: Nicaraguan dictatorship decapitates 1,500 NGOs with a single blow
Another NGO whose closure had a social impact in Nicaragua was Operación Sonrisa, the NGO had been operating in the country since 1994 and had benefited some 2,200 people with cleft palate surgery in its facilities and 5,738 patients with surgeries, in collaboration with public hospitals.
«There is a strong persecution of the Catholic and Evangelical Church through the cancellation of their associations (…) and we are waiting for the reform of the Sovereign Security Law and Law 1115 that the vice-dictator Rosario Murillo announced last week and that with this they would go from Non-Governmental Organizations to State Organizations because in the end the decision of the programs and/or projects will be subject to the Ministry of the Interior and the Chancellery.»says Amaru Ruíz, from the River Foundation.
For Liliam Robelo, representative of the Civic Association for Democracy, Ortega’s decision to eliminate more than 1,500 civil society organizations in one fell swoop continues to be a strategy to consolidate his power. What he seeks is to eliminate the structure of civil society that is not under the control of the State.
«Organizations play a critical role in defending human rights and overseeing public administration. This represents a potential threat to the regime that has shown that it is intolerant of dissent and any person, organization or company that is against its government will suffer consequences.»says Robelo.
The mass closure occurs three days after “co-president” Murillo announced a new model of work with Non-Governmental Organizations. As part of the closure package, the government canceled the legal status of associations defending sexual diversity, educational, social and retired military organizations.
«The loss of these organizations will have a direct impact on the most vulnerable sectors of society, and the massive closure negatively affects Nicaragua’s image internationally. We hope that there will be sanctions by the international community and diplomatic isolation in the face of this fear imposed on NGOs.»says the opponent.
OHCHR: Nicaraguan government imposes terror
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has expressed deep concern over the closure of 1,500 organizations in Nicaragua, including some 700 religious organizations. The UN agency says this act violates freedom of religion and freedom of association.
The High Commissioner calls on the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo to guarantee and protect the country’s fundamental freedoms. The UN says that this wave of terror imposed on the Catholic Church and other religions is alarming. According to the UN, since 2018 the government has decapitated more than 1,100 religious NGOs.
It also denounces the closure of Catholic and evangelical universities, including the Central American University (UCA), and the arrest and expulsion of 42 priests, as well as the expropriation of movable and immovable property of civil society organizations and opponents of the Sandinista regime.
