As part of a further assault on those who disagree with President Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua issued an official statement on Thursday that ordered churches and religious organisations to pay income tax and forced the closure of more than 150 non-governmental organisations. Furthermore, Nicaragua ordered the closure of more than 150 organisations.
Ortega put his signature on the resolution that was published in the official La Gaceta newspaper. The resolution intended to “repeal” the law that exempted such organisations from collecting taxes.
These individuals will now be required to pay taxes equal to up to 30 percent of their annual income.
Additionally, the current administration shut down 151 non-governmental organizations.
As a result of what the opposition in exile referred to as an assault on civil society, the move was made three days after Managua shut down over 1,500 nongovernmental organisations (NGOs).
In the years following the demonstrations against Ortega’s rule in 2018, which were followed by a crackdown that the United Nations reported resulted in the deaths of more than 300 people, the government has imprisoned hundreds of dissidents, both genuine and perceived.
The declaration made on Monday was the single largest targeting of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) so far. Since 2018, a total of over 5,200 civil organisations have been dismissed from their respective positions.
The United States of America expressed disappointment at the “unjust” closures that took place on Thursday, according to a tweet from Brian Nichols, the assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs at the State Department.
Felix Maradiaga, a former presidential candidate for Nicaragua who is currently living in exile in the United States, stated in a post on X that the crackdown “marks a dark new chapter in the systematic repression that has characterised Daniel Ortega’s regime.”
Additionally, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) voiced their disapproval of the action.
According to a statement released by the International Association for Civil and Political Rights (IACHR), “This action intensifies the repression in Nicaragua, demonstrating the relentless onslaught against pluralism and the deliberate closure of civic and democratic space in the country.”
The development was described as “deeply alarming” by the United Nations Office.
After participating as a guerrilla in the Sandinista movement that led to the overthrow of the Somoza family regime, which was supported by the United States, Ortega went on to become the leader of Nicaragua in 1979 as the head of a junta. After that, in 1985, he was elected to the position of president of the country.
He was defeated in elections in 1990, but he came back to power in 2007. Since then, he has abolished the limits on the number of terms that a president can serve and taken control of all branches of the state government.
The United States of America and the European Union have imposed sanctions on his regime.