es 
The regime of Daniel Ortega continues its offensive against civil society in Nicaragua, and intensifies repression by canceling the legal status of 11 associations and foundations, including the Instituto Tecnológico Victoria (ITV).
This systematic attack, including the closure of institutions that provided essential services, is evidence of a calculated strategy to eliminate any form of dissent and consolidate the government’s absolute power.
An old practice
The 11 new organizations that cease to do life in Nicaragua become part of the list of more than 3,000 associations or organizations that since 2018 have been closed by the Ortega-Murillo regime.
The list of affected NGOs is long and includes associations of all kinds. From technological institutes to medical aid associations, livestock associations and even religious (evangelical) associations. Even musaceous producers and an archery society have been suspended.
In addition to the 11 dissolved associations, four other associations have been dissolved under the modality of “voluntary dissolution”. This term means that the organization itself decides to cease its activities and to proceed to its autonomous closure.
And despite the fact that international organizations and human rights defenders denounce this as a systematic act of closing public space, the Nicaraguan regime justifies the measure through a decree published in the official newspaper ‘La Gaceta’.
According to the decree, the closed organizations, such as ITV, “have not reported their donations in a timely manner, nor have they promoted policies of transparency in the management of funds, in addition to presenting inconsistencies in their financial statements”.
In Nicaragua, where many organizations have been forced to close under accusations of failing to comply with legal requirements such as financial reporting or transparency in the handling of funds, some organizations may opt for voluntary dissolution to avoid harsher sanctions or to protect their members and assets from possible confiscation.
Control and Repression Strategy
Since the 2018 anti-government protests, the Ortega regime has intensified its campaign of repression and censorship against any form of opposition. The cancellation of these NGOs is part of a broader tactic to consolidate its authoritarian control. Religious organizations, human rights defenders, humanitarian aid groups, and entities dedicated to community development have been relentlessly persecuted, regardless of their political orientation or historical relationship with the regime.
The closed NGOs played crucial roles in Nicaraguan society, from higher education and promotion of healthy lifestyles to support for people with disabilities and sports development. ITV, for example, offered vocational training and scholarships, facilitating access to education for vulnerable sectors. The Fundación de Familias en Apoyo a Personas con el Trastorno del Espectro Autista provided essential services for a population particularly in need of specialized support.
In the oral update on human rights programming and protection in Nicaragua, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that they are monitoring human rights defenders in the country, who in addition to being stripped of their nationality and freedom, have also lost their pensions and have been prevented from exercising their professions.
They also highlighted the persecution exercised by the Nicaraguan authorities against members of religious groups, canceling their celebrations, and called for the deterioration of the human rights situation not to continue.
Reactions and Public Perception
Despite the seriousness of these measures, the repetition of similar events has led to a certain apathy in public perception. While some media outlets have reported on the cancellations, provoking reactions of discontent, the lack of broad and consistent coverage contributes to an atmosphere of resignation and disinterest. This relative silence on social networks and other channels reflects the regime’s success in normalizing repression as part of daily life in Nicaragua.
In order to record the conversation around the issue of NGO closures in Nicaragua, we conducted a specialized search on networks using key terms related to the cancellations and repression in the Central American country.
From May 15 to June 16, a total of 670 mentions were identified on various digital platforms. The peaks of conversation occurred on May 25, June 1 and June 8, with 72 mentions each.
The conversation was mainly concentrated on Facebook, accounting for 96.57% of mentions (647 mentions), followed by Instagram with 2.54% (17 mentions), TikTok with 0.6% (4 mentions), and other platforms with 0.3% (2 mentions).
Among the most repeated words during this conversation were “Daniel Ortega” (87 mentions), “Ministry of the Interior” (40 mentions), “persecution” (15 mentions), and “Public Ministry” (14 mentions).
The main accounts that led the mentions on this issue were Café con Voz with 12 and more than 1,891,320 impressions, Radio Darío with 11 mentions and more than 1,021,350 impressions, and Artículo 66 with 7 and more than 2,637,376 impressions. These accounts have played a crucial role in denouncing Ortega’s repression and have served as platforms to protest against the persecution of Nicaraguan civil society.
Despite the regime’s attempts to silence dissent and control the public narrative, claiming it will “silence U.S.-backed opponents,” digital platforms and dissident citizen activism seek to amplify information and amplify the systematic human rights violations taking place in Nicaragua under Daniel Ortega’s regime.
For more information on socio-political manipulation online you can follow us on all social media platforms as @ProBoxVe
Go to all articles
