Nicaragua targets NGOs in crackdown

Nicaragua's government has officially banned 1,500 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as part of a broader campaign against civil society groups perceived as adversarial to President Daniel Ortega. This decision, published in the government gazette, includes the confiscation of assets belonging to these organizations, many of which are religious in nature. Notable entities affected include the Nicaraguan Red Cross and various Catholic charities, alongside a range of community groups such as rotary clubs, sports associations, and educational institutions. The Interior Ministry justified the closures by alleging that these organizations failed to meet financial disclosure requirements, including reporting on donations. This crackdown has intensified since widespread anti-government protests erupted in 2018, leading to the dissolution of over 5,000 civil society groups, private universities, and media outlets. Recently, the government mandated that NGOs must operate solely in partnership with state entities, further tightening its grip on civil society. Ortega, who first rose to power in 1979 and returned to the presidency in 2007, has systematically dismantled democratic institutions, quashing presidential term limits and consolidating control over all branches of government. His regime faces sanctions from the United States and the European Union, yet human rights violations persist unabated within Nicaragua. International bodies, including the United Nations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, have condemned the systematic abuses of human rights in Nicaragua, calling for an end to the ongoing repression and urging the government to respect fundamental freedoms.