Nicaragua Shuts Down 15 Additional NGOs, Bringing Total to Over 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 in the country to over 3,600 since December 2018. The Minister of the Interior of the Sandinista dictatorship, María Amelia Coronel, approved the dissolution of these organizations in Managua. The Ministry of the Interior stated that nine NGOs were closed for not complying with regulations, while six others requested voluntary dissolution. Among the organizations canceled were the National Chamber of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, the Association of Small Hotel Owners of Nicaragua, the Association of Airlines, and evangelical Christian entities.

In terms of the liquidation of assets, the Ministry of the Interior explained that the Attorney General’s Office would oversee the transfer of assets to the Nicaraguan State, except for those organizations that requested voluntary dissolution. The closure of these 15 NGOs adds to the more than 3,600 organizations that have been dissolved following protests against the regime that began in April 2018.

Some politicians supporting the dictatorship accused the NGOs of using resources to try to overthrow Ortega during demonstrations. The regime claims that the illegalization of these organizations is part of a regularization process, as not all registered NGOs in 2018 were operational. Nicaragua has been in a political and social crisis since April 2018, with tensions escalating after the controversial elections in November 2021, in which Ortega claimed victory for a fifth term.