First modification:
Among those affected are organizations and foundations that advocate for the defense of human rights, feminists and historiography institutes. They join another 77 that also suffered the effects of the enactment of the repressive Regulation Law passed last April. It happens in a framework where Managua began the process to leave the OAS, relatives of political prisoners denounce deplorable conditions and the United States avoided inviting the country to the Summit of the Americas.
Freedom of expression and thought is going through a delicate situation in Nicaragua that deepened in these hours, after the Government of Daniel Ortega ordered the closure of 50 NGOs, where entities dedicated to the defense of human rights or that advocate for female equality.
In addition, among the victims are the Central American Historical Institute (IHCA), the Nicaraguan Democratic Force-Nicaraguan Resistance Movement Association (FDN-RN Movement), which had armed conflicts with the first Sandinista regime that was in power between 1979 and 1990, and the Association Commissions for Peace of Human Rights (ACPDH).
The National Assembly, which is controlled by the ruling party, gave the green light to the closure of these organizations, endorsed by the recent General Law for the Regulation and Control of Non-Profit Organizations.
This legislation leaves in the hands of the Ministry of the Interior the possibility of introducing the operating requirements of organizations and gives it the ability to withdraw permits.
According to the ruling party, these new 50 closed NGOs failed to comply with their obligations, such as reporting their financial statements according to the fiscal periods with their detailed breakdowns, such as income, expenses and donations.
Since its enactment in April, a total of 77 organizations, foundations or institutions have had to stop operating, which represents a serious setback for human rights and freedom of expression.
The framework of these issues has become much more tense since Ortega was re-elected on November 7 to head a fifth term – fourth consecutive -, the second he will do with his wife Rosario Murillo as vice president.
With its contenders in prison, criminalized dissidence and signs of impartiality in the vote, the international community made clear its doubts about the elections. For example, the Organization of American States (OAS) expressed concern about the legitimacy of the elections.
In response, last November, Nicaragua began the procedures to leave the OAS, close the entity’s offices in the territory and revoke the credentials of several representatives.
On the other hand, in recent days, relatives of 181 political prisoners denounced that the inmates receive terrible treatment, where they suffer torture and their health situation is serious. They stated that the convicts suffer from malnutrition, burns, heart problems, mental illness, among other things.
This scenario where human rights are going down led the United States to decide not to invite Nicaragua to participate in the Summit of the Americas in June because “they do not respect the Democratic Charter of the Americas,” alleged the head of US diplomacy to the Brian Nichols region.
With EFE and Reuters
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