Nicaragua’s parliament, controlled by allies of President Daniel Ortega, has shut down 25 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in a move slammed by the opposition as the latest example in a months-long crackdown on civil society. The groups, many of which have publicly criticized the government, were closed by Congress on Wednesday with 74 votes in favor and 15 abstentions. Lawmakers argued the NGOs had violated Nicaraguan laws and failed to disclose financial accounts. Most of the groups work on human rights issues and carry out social and cultural work.
“There is no will from the government to have organizations … documenting violations of human rights,” said Marcos Carmona, who heads the Permanent Commission on Human Rights, one of the organizations affected by the measure. Ortega’s government continues to persecute and jail opposition figures and other political opponents, in a wide-reaching crackdown that began months before the longtime leader was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term as president in November. Dozens of opposition figures—–including seven presidential hopefuls—were detained in what rights groups said was an effort to guarantee Ortega’s re-election, while several other opposition leaders have been forced into exile, often to neighboring Costa Rica. Of those arrested, more than two dozen have now been sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Late last month, the Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States resigned, condemning the government for human rights abuses and a crackdown on freedom of speech.
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