Via CNN:
Nicaragua has stripped the legal status of 1,500 non-profit organizations, marking the latest move in an ongoing government crackdown that has spanned several years in this Central American country.
These organizations, which include a significant number of religious groups, have been accused of failing to submit their financial statements for periods ranging from one to 35 years, according to a notice published on Monday in the official government publication, La Gaceta.
The closure affects a variety of organizations, including those focused on sports like basketball, tennis, and soccer, as well as groups dedicated to health, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, legal advocacy, and veterans’ affairs. Notably, more than 400 of these organizations are religiously affiliated, with the majority being Christian.
CNN has sought comments from the Vatican and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
Earlier this month, Nicaragua also revoked the legal status of Caritas from the Diocese of Matagalpa, citing bureaucratic reasons, as reported by Vatican News. The diocese is led by Bishop Rolando Alvarez, a prominent critic of the government who now lives in exile after being convicted of crimes such as conspiracy and treason.
Under the extended rule of President Daniel Ortega, who secured a fifth term in 2021, civil liberties in Nicaragua have significantly eroded.
In recent years, Ortega’s administration has detained numerous opposition presidential hopefuls, journalists, and human rights defenders under a broadly interpreted national security law. CNN en Español was taken off the air in Nicaragua in 2022.
Mass protests against the regime in 2018 were met with severe repression, with Nicaraguan security forces reportedly killing hundreds, injuring thousands, and arbitrarily detaining many, according to Human Rights Watch. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans have since fled the country.
In June, the United Nations voiced “grave concern” regarding the human rights situation in Nicaragua. At least 35 individuals have been detained since March as part of a broader “crackdown on civic space,” according to Nada al-Nashif, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights.
