Nicaragua shuts down 15 additional NGOs; number of closures surpasses 3.6 thousand since 2018

The Nicaraguan regime announced the cancellation of legal status for 15 new NGOs, bringing the total number of banned organizations to over 3,600 since December 2018. These organizations were dissolved by the Minister of the Interior of the Sandinista dictatorship, María Amelia Coronel, in Managua, as per two ministerial agreements published in Nicaragua’s official newspaper, La Gaceta.

The Ministry of the Interior stated that nine NGOs were closed for not complying with regulations, and six others voluntarily requested dissolution. Among the NGOs canceled were the National Chamber of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, the Association of Small Hotel Owners of Nicaragua, and evangelical Christian entities. The Ministry also outlined the transfer of assets to the Nicaraguan State, except for those that requested voluntary dissolution.

Since the protests in April 2018, more than 3,600 NGOs have been dissolved in Nicaragua. Some regime supporters accused the NGOs of using resources to try to overthrow Ortega during the demonstrations. The regime claims the illegalization is part of a regulation process due to the large number of registered NGOs in 2018.

Nicaragua has been embroiled in a political and social crisis since April 2018, with tensions escalating after the controversial 2021 elections where Ortega was re-elected for a fifth term. Ortega’s opponents were either imprisoned or in exile, and his wife, Rosario Murillo, serves as vice president.