MANAGUA.- The regime of Daniel Ortega revoked the legal personality of 15 non-governmental organizations in Nicaragua, including the prominent Netherlands-based Hivos Foundation, as well as five Catholic and evangelical religious entities.
As announced by the Ministry of the Interior in the official newspaper La Gaceta, the cancellation of the legal personality of these organizations is due to alleged “non-compliance” in the presentation of financial reports. Additionally, it was reported that two of these organizations opted for voluntary dissolution due to lack of resources or the termination of their projects.
The Hivos Foundation, which has operated in the region since 2008, was among the organizations affected, with the Ortega regime pointing to a lack of financial reporting between 2020 and 2023, as well as the expiration of its board of directors.
Hivos, known for promoting government transparency, sustainable agriculture and renewable energy in Latin America, is just one of many organizations affected by these measures. Among the other canceled organizations are Catholic institutions such as the Jesús Divino Obrero Institute and the Sisters of Charity Foundation, as well as evangelical entities such as the Dios Fuerte Evangelical Association, the Evangelistic and Community Ministry Association, and the United Church Foundation to Help the Needy. .
According to the legislation governing non-profit organizations, the assets of these organizations, both movable and immovable, will be transferred to the State.
These actions are part of a broader context of tightening laws in Nicaragua, especially after the anti-government protests of 2018, which left more than 300 dead, according to UN investigations. The Ortega regime accused some of these organizations of receiving external financing to promote “internal destabilization”, a claim that has generated controversy and criticism both nationally and internationally.
Source: With information from AFP
