The Ministry of the Interior (Migob) eliminated this Wednesday the legal status and the operation registration of one hundred Non-Profit Organizations (OSFL), these include nine of foreign origin. With this closure, the Ortega regime accumulates 2,807 canceled NPOs between January 19 and November 16, 2022.
Among the new hundred NPOs that were canceled, the Association of Survivors in the Fight Against Cancer (APELC), the Nicaraguan Foundation for Diabetes (FND), the Association of Women for a Better Future of Nicaragua (ASOMUNIC), the Association of Nicaraguan Women for a Better Future Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases (CPECV), the Association in Support of the National Movement of Working Girls, Boys and Adolescents (NATR).
Likewise, Christian organizations such as: the Association of Ministries of Churches of Jesus Christ, the First Eben-Ezer Apostolic Church Association, the Living Fire International Ministry Association, the Nicaraguan Apostolic Ministerial Network Association, the Breath of Elohim Religious Association, the Association of Christian Women God is Love, among others. Read the full list here.
The Migob assures that the closure of these spaces, which violates the right of association in Nicaragua, is due to the fact that these organisms “failed to comply with their obligations (…) since they did not report for periods of between two to 29 years, their boards of directors, financial statements with breakdowns of income and expenses”. Likewise, for not detailing the name, identification, address and telephone number of all its donors.
More than 300 foreign NGOs closed
In total, the regime accumulates 310 NPOs of foreign origin. 38% of these come from the United States, 13.5% from Spain, 7.4% from Italy and 4% from Germany and Costa Rica. Today’s nine cancellations were:
- Foundation for the Development of Nursing, originally from Spain.
- Association of Domestic Workers, originally from Costa Rica.
- American Institutes for Research in Behavioral Sciences, United States.
- Aid Association for Cooperation and Development, originally from France.
- Nicaragua Baptist Missions, originally from the United States.
- Pro Science, Education and Culture Foundation, originally from Costa Rica.
- Association for Aid to the Third World Intervida, originally from Spain.
- Community Youth Development Foundation, originally from the United States.
- The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Dominion Chapel, United States.
The Migob assures that the operation records of these were eliminated because they did not report their original boards of directors for more than three to eight years, they did not update the power of attorney and their financial statements with their detailed breakdowns of income and expenses.
These NPOs must deliver to Migob, within a term of 72 hours, all the documentation referring to the liquidation of their goods and assets, as well as accounting books, minutes and registration of their members.
The cancellations of national organizations were made through a ministerial agreement published in La Gaceta, Official Gazette by the head of the Ministry of the Interior, María Amelia Coronel Kinloch. Meanwhile, those of foreign organizations were made separately by the general director of the General Directorate of Registration and Control of OSFL, Franya Urey Blandón.
Four years of cancellations
On November 29, the Ortega regime will celebrate four years since it began the hunt against the NGOs in Nicaragua, whom it accuses of financing the alleged “coup attempt” against it.
According to an analysis of CONFIDENTIAL, created from its own database, in 2018 the first nine organizations were cancelled. The following year three more were added and in 2020, two.
It was not until 2021 when the regime began the massive cancellation. In that year there were 60 canceled NGOs, many of these were medical, human rights, democracy, educational, and development groups. In 2022, 2807 accumulate.
The months with the most cancellations were June with 514, September with 500, July with 410, August with 401 and October with 400.
Regime closed all independent environmental NGOs
44% of all canceled organizations had between 21 and 30 years of operating in Nicaragua. Another 43% were between 11 and 20 years old. On the list there are also 123 NPOs who were between 31 and 40 years old in Nicaragua, 13 were up to 50 years old and 17 between 51 and 60 years old. More than half of these worked on development issues.
