Politics Nicaragua's authoritarian government dissolves 1,500 NGOs

The authoritarian government of Nicaragua has dissolved a further 1,500 non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The mainly religious groups had violated the legal obligation to submit financial reports, according to the official announcement in the official gazette. Since the bloody mass protests against left-wing President Daniel Ortega in 2018, more than 5,000 organizations have been banned and their assets confiscated in the Central American country.

Former Sandinista guerrilla Ortega (78) and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, are taking massive action against opposition members, church representatives, private universities and journalists. More than 350 people were killed in the protests six years ago. Hundreds of government critics, including the renowned writer Sergio Ramírez, have been expatriated and live abroad.

After the overthrow of the dictator Anastasio Somoza by the Sandinistas in 1979, Ortega was initially a member of a five-member government junta. In 1984, he was elected head of state and government. Five years later, he lost the presidential election. He has been president again since 2007. Before his controversial re-election in 2021, he had seven opposing candidates arrested. According to media reports, his wife is playing an increasingly important role in government decisions.

SDA