Daniel Ortega’s regime ordered the cancellation of the legal personality of 80 national Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and 20 of foreign origin. The decree was issued by the Ministry of the Interior (Migob). The number of non-profit foundations and associations outlawed by the dictatorship reaches 2,175 from December 2018 to date.
Through ministerial agreement 06-2022-OSFL published in The Gazette of this Thursday, September 29, the Migob ordered the cancellation of the national associations for having “failed to fulfill their obligations according to law; and that these have not reported for periods of 6 to 27 years boards of directors, financial statements, according to fiscal periods, with detailed breakdowns of income and expenses, trial balance, details of donations, as well as information on the identity and origin of all its members and donors.
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Among the canceled organizations are Christian entities such as the New Christian Vision Association, the Interdenominational Bible Institute and the International Ministry Springs of Life. The list also includes crafts and women’s support entities in the health, economic development and education sectors.
The Association of Women in Comprehensive Family Care (AMUIF), dedicated to accompanying health issues for rural women, was also another of those canceled along with the Association of Women for Social Economic Development of the Conquest (Amudesco).
As for the 20 canceled foreign NGOs, seven are from the United States, four from Spain, two from Germany, one from Honduras, another from Costa Rica, one from Norway, one from Panama and one from Italy.
Among the US organizations are the International Society of Aeronautical Telecommunications dedicated to the armed forces, the International Institute of Agriculture, the Nicaraguan Center for Development and Ciet Internacional and Planet Aid Association. While in the Spanish ones, the San Agustín de Nicaragua Foundation, the Engelmajer Foundation and the Alfasol Foundation for Cooperation and Development stand out.
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The entities are accused of violating Law 1040, the Foreign Agents Regulation Law; and Law 977, Law Against Money Laundering, the Financing of Terrorism and the Financing of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
With the approved reform of the Law referring to NGOs, the Ortega-Murillo regime granted Migob the absolute power to strip organizations of legal personality through ministerial agreements, without the need to go through the Executive.
The Nicaraguan Human Rights Collective Never Again has denounced that “the purpose of these cancellations is to exercise absolute control and silence society; persecute those who think differently and establish a single thought, violating the human rights of the Nicaraguan people.
