The National Assembly passed laws requiring nonprofit organizations to cooperate with the Ortega-Murillo government.
By Confidencial
HAVANA TIMES – The Nicaraguan National Assembly, a body entirely controlled by the Ortega regime, has unanimously approved a package of reforms to the laws regulating non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the country. Between December 2018 and mid-August 2024, seventy percent of the previously existing non-profit organizations, including the most active ones, were liquidated through forced closure and confiscation. The reform package was submitted to the legislative body for urgent approval.
In detail, the following laws were amended with the approval of the 91 MPs:
- General Law on the Regulation and Control of Non-Profit Organisations (Law No. 1115)
- Law on the Regulation of Foreign Agents (Law No. 1040); and
- Law on Tax Concertation (Law No. 822)
This package of reforms ordered by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo supposedly aims to “regulate” the implementation of the programs and projects that non-profit organizations carry out in Nicaragua. According to the new norms, NGOs must now work in alliance with the Ministry of the Interior, the very same body that dropped the guillotine on so many of these organizations.
The regime tries to control all NGO projects in Nicaragua
On August 16, 2024, the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship announced its intention to implement a “new operating mode” for NGOs in Nicaragua. Analysts say these new regulations eliminate the autonomy of NGO projects and aim to control the resources these organizations receive.
Under the new model, NGOs must submit their proposals for “partnership programs and projects” to the Ministry of the Interior or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The proposals will be evaluated by Ortega, Murillo and the designated government institutions according to the objectives of the projects. These bodies will decide whether to accept or reject the initiative.
In addition, with these reforms, all NGOs and so-called foreign agents in Nicaragua “will no longer be subject to tax exemptions, exemptions or other tax advantages.”
Since the end of 2018, the Ortega regime has closed 5,163 NGOs – 1,500 of which announced their closure on August 19, 2024. Some of the organizations had requested voluntary dissolution in order to preserve their assets and avoid confiscation of their assets.
Daniel Ortega, who returned to power in 2007 and has remained in power ever since despite unconstitutional and fraudulent re-elections, has exacerbated his government’s international isolation due to systematic human rights violations. The massive closure of NGOs has also led to a reduction in international aid, which the government now wants to control by implementing these reforms.
1,500 new organisations under the guillotine
On Monday, August 19, 2024, the Ministry of the Interior closed another 1,500 Nicaraguan NGOs on the grounds that they had “failed to report” their financial situation for periods between one and 35 years.
The most recently dissolved NGOs are mainly Catholic and Evangelical Protestant organizations, but there are also social, equestrian, business, educational, medical, indigenous and sports associations, as well as organizations of war veterans and lawyers.
The measures are a new front in the persecution that the regime has unleashed against NGOs since the mass protests of 2018. It accuses them – without evidence – of accepting money from foreign governments to “carry out terrorist and destabilizing activities”.
Originally published in Spanish by Confidencial and translated into English and posted by Havana Times.
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