In Nicaragua, authorities compel around 1,500 religious organizations and civic bodies to shut down.
Various religious groups, numbering in the hundreds, have been under scrutiny for not submitting their financial reports for anywhere between a year and three decades, as stated in a notice published on Monday in the official publication, "La Gaceta".
Some of these organizations that ceased operations following this announcement were sports-focused, hosting basketball, tennis, and soccer teams. There were also health, women's rights, LGBTQ rights, legal associations, and veterans' clubs. Over 400 of these groups were religiously affiliated, the majority being Christian.
CNN has reached out to the Vatican and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America for comment.
Just last month, Nicaragua revoked the legal status of the Diocese of Matagalpa’s Caritas due to supposed administrative issues, as reported by Vatican News. The diocese is led by Bishop Rolando Alvarez, a vocal critic of the government who currently resides in exile after being convicted on charges such as conspiracy and treason.
Civil liberties in Nicaragua have significantly diminished under the authoritative presidency of Daniel Ortega, who secured his fifth term in 2021.
In recent years, his administration has detained numerous presidential candidates, journalists, and human rights advocates under an ambiguous national security law. CNN en Español was forced off the air in Nicaragua in 2022.
The widespread anti-regime protests in 2018 were met with severe force, resulting in hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries, and the arbitrary detention of many individuals, as per Human Rights Watch. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans have fled the country.
In June, the United Nations expressed "serious concern" over the human rights situation in Nicaragua. At least 35 individuals have been arrested since March as part of a "crackdown on civic space,” stated Nada al-Nashif, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The world has been watching the ongoing human rights issues in the Americas, specifically in Nicaragua. Despite being home to numerous religious organizations, some of which have faced scrutiny for financial mismanagement, the situation in Nicaragua has attracted global attention.
