The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo today canceled 15 organizations, including the Caritas Diocesan Association of Matagalpa, one of the eight branches of Caritas of Nicaragua, the social pastoral of the Catholic Church, under the excuse of not reporting their financial statements, details of donations and board of directors.
The government accuses Cáritas Matagalpa of obstructing the control and surveillance of the General Registry Directorate by not presenting details of its income, expenses, trial balance, donations and having an expired board of directors since 2022. Several Cáritas Matagalpa programs were also dissolved, according to the ministerial agreement published in the Official Gazette, La Gaceta.
The Catholic organization’s programs are Urban and Rural Financial Support PROAFUR; Urban and Rural Financial Support DAD-AID; Urban and Rural Financial Support DAD-CRS; Soil and Water Agriculture Project (ASA); Strengthening Livelihoods and Capacities in the Dry Corridor of Nicaragua (FOMVICAC), all accused by the regime of not submitting reports from 2020 to 2023.
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The ministerial agreement also states that the assets of the organization will be transferred to the State by the Attorney General’s Office. Caritas Matagal, whose diocese led by Bishop Rolando Álvarez (released from prison and exiled by the Ortega regime) had its legal status since 2009.
Relations between the Ortega government and the Catholic Church are currently experiencing moments of great tension, marked by the expulsion and imprisonment of priests, or the prohibition of religious activities, with greater cruelty against the diocese of Matagalpa, Estelí and Juigalpa, from which the regime has expelled 7 priests to Rome after a wave of persecution last week.
In addition, the Axayacalt Women’s Association, the Good Samaritan Church Foundation, the Holy Spirit and Fire Pentecostal Church of God Association, and the Managua Departmental Canoeing Association were cancelled.
Nine NGOs requested dissolution, including: Transcultural Missionary Association of the Integral Ministry to the Nations (ATMMIN), Municipal Chess Association of Camoapa, Association for Tourism Promotion and Rescue of the Momotombo Culture of León Viejo Rigoberto Sampson, Association for Community Health of El Rama, Pranic Healing Association Foundation Nicaragua, Association Ministry of the Kingdom of God, Ligia Terán Foundation of Astorga and Nicaragua Association Initiative for an Advanced Community.
Caritas of Nicaragua requested the cancellation of its legal personality “through voluntary dissolution” in an extraordinary session on December 31, “due to a decrease in funds to meet its purposes and objectives,” according to the government through the Ministry of the Interior.
Pope Francis has called the Sandinista government a “gross dictatorship,” pointing out “an imbalance in the person who leads” the Central American country; however, he has not commented on the government’s recent attacks on the Catholic Church and its priests.
