Vatican News reports that the government of Nicaragua has revoked the legal status of 1,500 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the country, transferring their assets to the state. In addition, two more Catholic priests have been expelled from Nicaragua following their arrest last week, bringing the total of religious men and women expelled to 245 since 2018.
The NGO decision, approved by Interior Minister María Amelia Coronel, and published in La Gaceta, Nicaragua's official gazette, allegedly stems from the NGOs' failure to meet certain obligations.
These obligations include submitting their financial statements for periods ranging from one to 35 years, with a detailed breakdown of income and expenses, payment records, donation details, and their boards of directors.
According to some independent sites, the NGOs were not given any prior notice, the government has accused these organizations of obstructing the Interior Ministry's oversight.
Under the new agreement, the Attorney General’s Office will now be responsible for transferring movable and immovable assets on behalf of the State of Nicaragua.
The massive shutdown, as highlighted by journalistic sources, follows Vice President Rosario Murillo's announcement of "a new model of alliances between NGOs and the government," in which organizations will now be "required to present programs or projects and collaborate with state institutions" in order to carry out their initiatives.
Exemptions have also been eliminated. The majority of the closed NGOs are affiliated with evangelical communities.
However, there are some Catholic organizations, such as the diocesan Caritas of Granada. The list also includes charitable entities, sports associations, and indigenous groups.
This unprecedented action—marking the first time 1,500 organizations have been outlawed in a single move—over 5,200 NGOs have been dissolved since 2018, the start of popular protests.
Vatican News also released the names of the two exiled priests.
Fr. Leonel Balmaceda and Fr. Denis Martínez, the two priests arrested in Nicaragua on August 10 and 11, respectively, were expelled by the government and sent to Rome.
Fr. Balmaceda, the parish priest of Jesús de Caridad Church in La Trinidad, is from the Diocese of Estelí.
Fr. Martínez, a formator at the interdiocesan seminary Nuestra Señora de Fátima in Managua, belongs to the clergy of the Diocese of Matagalpa.
Both dioceses are administered by Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who has resided in Rome since January.
News reports also announced that Fr. Danny García, the parish priest of San Juan Bautista Church in Matagalpa, was "released" following news of his arrest by the Nicaraguan police on August 15, adding that he has since left Nicaragua.
According to a report by a Nicaraguan researcher in exile, as reported by 100% Noticias, since the eruption of the crisis in the country in 2018, 245 religious figures have been forced into exile or expelled.
These include the Apostolic Nuncio to Nicaragua, Archbishop Waldemar Sommertag, three bishops, 136 priests from various Nicaraguan dioceses, three deacons, eleven seminarians, and 91 religious women or men.
The same source, citing the document, notes that 19 religious men and women, including Bishop Álvarez, exiled Bishop Silvio Báez, and 14 other priests, have been declared "traitors to the homeland" and stripped of their nationality.
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