Ortega closes six more international NGOs in Nicaragua

In its continuing assault on Nicaraguan civil society, the Ortega-Murillo regime ordered the stripping of legal status of six NGOs from Italy, Costa Rica, Germany, the United States and Spain. It alleged the non-profits hindered the Ministry of Interior’s “control and surveillance”, by not reporting their financial statements, the identity and origin of their donors or registering as “foreign agents”.

The canceled organizations are: Fundación Terre Des Hommes Italia-Onlus, from Italy; Asociación Vivamos Mejor, from Costa Rica; Médico Internacional E.V., from Germany; Planting Hope INC (Sembrando Esperanza), from the USA; Proyect Gettysburg-León, from the USA, and the Fundación para la Cooperación Internacional Funciona, from Spain.

“The six international organizations were given 72 hours to deliver to the Ministry of Interior all the documents related to the liquidation of goods and assets, as well as accounting books (daily and ledger), books of minutes and that of the registry of members,” states the resolution published in the official Gazette.

The Ortega regime claims the non-profit organzations “hindered the control and surveillance” of the Ministry by not reporting:

• Financial statements according to fiscal periods with detailed breakdowns: income, expenses, balance, details of donations (origin, source, and final beneficiary)

• Boards of directors of the country of origin

• Information on the identity and origin of all its donors: names, surnames, identification card or passport, exact address, and telephone number.

• Previous donations from abroad.

List of canceled foreign NGOs grows to 28

The Ministry also alleges that the organizations failed to comply with the Law for the Regulation and Control of Non-Profit Organisms, -which came into force on May 6; the Law against Money Laundering, Financing of Terrorism and the Financing of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and its regulations, as well as the Law of Regulation of Foreign Agents by not registering.

With these cancellations of legal status, 28 foreign organizations have been forced to close between, August 2021 and May 2022.

The Ortega regime has eliminated 199 non-profit organizations so far this year and has shuttered a total of 273 civil society organizations from 2018 to date. These include associations, foundations, institutes, centers, and other organizations.

Dozens of these developed education projects, medical programs, support for women victims of violence, environmental protection, and the promotion and defense of human rights, etc.

This article was originally published in Spanish in Confidencial and translated by Havana Times