Regime executes the largest cancellation of NGOs in Nicaragua

The National Assembly, dominated by Ortega, canceled this Tuesday the legal personality of 83 non-profit organizations, the largest group that has been outlawed, since the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo began a supposed “organization” of the NGOs, which has left 356 organizations, foundations and associations canceled since 2018, of which 282 have been canceled so far in 2022.

The issue did not generate any debate in Parliament. The legislators limited themselves to listening to the reading of the decree presented by the Sandinista deputy Filiberto Rodríguez, and automatically proceeded to approve it in general, with 75 votes in favor and 16 against. At the time of the discussion in particular there were no comments from the deputies either.

Rodríguez’s arguments to reason these cancellations were the same with which he has justified, from the beginning, his hunt for NGOs: an alleged failure to submit their financial statements to the Ministry of the Interior (Migob), “according to the periods taxes with a detailed breakdown of income, expenses, trial balance and details of donations, (origin, provenance and final beneficiary)”.

Another point is that allegedly the NGOs did not report to the Migob those who make up their boards of directors, previous donations from abroad, identity documents of their funders, and did not comply with their registration as Foreign Agentsthus breaching the General Law On Non-Profit Legal Entities and the Law against Money Laundering

The organizations, associations and foundations canceled this Tuesday addressed issues such as promoting democracy, social services, child protection, defense of women’s rights, care for the environment, equestrian issues and the study of the language, mainly.

Canceled Organizations

1. Association for the Integral Development and Promotion of Chontales.
2. Foundation “Action for Integral and Solidarity Development” ADISO.
3. Equestrian Association of Nueva Segovia (AECNUSE).
4. Association in Aid to the Nicaraguan People (AAPN).
5. Association for the Comprehensive Care of Human Rights (AID-H).
6. Association for National Equestrian Development, (Asodena).
7. Center Foundation for Communication Programs / Nicaragua (CPC-Nicaragua).
8. Metropolitan Rotary Club Association of León, (CMRL).
9. Nicaraguan Association for the Defense of Women (ASONICMU).
10. Association of Health Promoters and Midwives of New Guinea, APROSAPANG.
11. Association for Community Health in Río San Juan, ASC-Río San Juan.
12. Nicaraguan Association of the Knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
13. Citizen Advocacy Network Association (ARIC).
14. “Lovigüisca Community Museum Association” (LOVIGÜISCA).
15. Foundation for the Preservation of the Cerro Apante Nature Reserve (Apantle Foundation).
16. Abaunza Steps Foundation.
17. Nicaraguan Academy of Language.
18. Nicaraguan Codification Institute Association (EAN – NICARAGUA).
19. Impulse Foundation.
20. Association for the Promotion and Development of Drinking Water and Sanitation Committees, (Red
    CAPS).
21. Association Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Nicaragua Section or Institute of
    Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Nicaragua Section (IEEE, NICARAGUA SECTION).
22. Association of Otorhinolaryngology of Nicaragua (AORLN).
23. Space Association for Research and Artistic Reflection, (ESPIRA).
24. Friendship Association.
25. Health and Development Association, (S&D).
26. Association for Comprehensive Community Development of Nicaraguan Families (ADICFAN).
27. Prosperity Association (Thrive) Nicaragua, (APTN).
28. Marijn Funmarijn Foundation.
29. Sustainable Development Network Association (RDS).
30. Association of Young Entrepreneurs for Democracy, (JED).
31. INDE-Educrédito Foundation.
32. Alternative Association for the Comprehensive Development of Women (ADIM).
33. United Walking Rehabilitation Foundation (FURWUS).
34. Foundation for the Rescue, Promotion and Dissemination of Nicaraguan Culture, (Calmecac Foundation).
35. Development Financial Association, (FIDESA).
36. Civil Foundation Research Institute “Woman and Change”.
37. Association on the Move for Sustainability (EMPSA).
38. Research, Training and Social Development Foundation (INCADESO).
39. “Flor de Maria Rizo” Foundation.
40. Estelí Xilonem Women’s Association (AMEX).
41. Association of the Nicaraguan Institute of Evangelism in Depth (INDEF).
42. Nicaragua Lee Association.
43. Condega Women’s Network Association for Comprehensive Training and Development, (Condega Women’s Network).
44. Nora Astorga Women’s Association.
45. School of Comedy and Mime Association.
46. Association of Catholic Publishers, (PUBLICA).
47. Diocesan Association of Legal and Legal Advice, (ADALJ).
48. Association of Veterans for Peace and Development, (ASOEXCOPADE).
49. Nicaraguan International Students Ministry Association (MEINIC).
50. Association Center for the Training of Peasant Women, “Fray Antonino Vaccaro”.
51. Condega Construction Women’s Collective.
52. Nicaraguan Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, (SNCPR).
53. Association Specialized Center for Attention to Women, (CEAMUJER).
54. Association of Professionals for Agrarian Development, (APRODESA).
55. Association “Harvest Center of Nicaragua”, (Harvest Center).
56. Nicaraguan Environmental Association, (Nicambiental).
57. Association of Labor Economic Development Hotel Camino Real, (ADELHCAR).
58. New Dawn Children’s Association, (Anna).
59. Life, Faith and Hope Foundation, (VIFE Foundation).
60. Miskito Foundation for Health, Education and Social Welfare, (FUMSEBS).
61. Association “Young People Towards Solidarity and Development”, (JOVESOLIDES).
62. Nicaraguan Hope Association.
63. Association for Recreation, Education and Youth Orientation, (APROROJ).
64. Association of Peasant Protectors of Bosawás, (ACAPROBO).
65. Mano a Mano Foundation of Nicaragua.
66. Civil Foundation for Research and Rural Development, (FIDER).
67. Fundación Nueva Era de Nicaragua, (FNE), which was authorized to change its corporate name to Fundación Enrique Bolaños (FEB).
68. Campo Verde Association for Community Development of Nicaragua.
69. Masaya Association 2000 Roberto González Rocha, (ASOMA 2000).
70. Let’s Build the Future Today Foundation, (Let’s Build the Future Today).
71. Multiple Help Association, (AAM).
72. Association of Horticulturists of Sébaco, (ADHORTISEB).
73. Association of the Nicaraguan Institute for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights”, (INIPDH).
74. Nicaraguan Association of Nutritionists and Dieticians, (ANNUDI).
75. Freedom and Democracy Foundation.
76. Association Center for Rehabilitation and Hope for Addicts, (CREPA).
77. New Horizons Social and Cultural Development Foundation (FUNDESOC).
78. Association of Indigenous Youth of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua “Likarma”, (Lalma Tasbaya Insin Wahma Tiara Aslatakanka in Miskito).
79. Ecodevelopmentalist Association of the East and South, (Ecodevelopmentalist of the East).
80. San Fernando Foundation in Development, (Fusede).
81. Foundation for the Development of Nicaragua Santo Domingo, (FUDENSAD).
82. Association for Social Development of San Rafael del Sur, (San Rafael Association).
83. Association of Banana Producers, (Probanic).

More than 8,000 organizations targeted by the regime

In an interview between Rodríguez and another deputy, Moisés Absalón Pastora, on May 26, he stated that since 1951 there have been registered 8220 non-profit organizations in Nicaragua, and justified its crusade against the organizations by pointing out that it is an “ordinance” aimed at “fulfilling international commitments” in terms of money laundering, and punishing the organizations that supposedly promoted the massive protests of 2018.

“The FATF (International Financial Action Task Force) gives us a warning and tells us: ‘non-profit organizations are prone to money laundering and state terrorism,” said Rodríguez. So, “that makes us (the regime) begin to order the house and we begin to see the legal status.”

“The events of 2018 speed us up and prove to us that there are non-profit organizations, that there were foundations involved 100% in our government’s attempted coup,” said Rodríguez, referring to the massive protests that the regime de Ortega brutally repressed causing the death of at least 355 people between April 2018 and June 2019.

The legislator commented that in the 1990s “there was a relaxation” in the authorization of non-profit entities and those same organizations were used in 2018 “to transfer resources” aimed at the alleged coup attempt.