Ortega closes scout association and seven other organizations

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MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Nicaraguan government closed the scout association and seven other non-governmental organizations, four of them religious, for allegedly failing to comply with their financial reports, the official newspaper La Gaceta reported on Friday.

According to a resolution of the Ministry of the Interior, which regulates the operations of these organizations in the country, the Scouts Association of Nicaragua did not report its financial statements between 2020 and 2022 and its board of directors was “expired”—it had not renewed authorities—since September 2021, La Gaceta stated.

The movable and immovable property of the organizations will be transferred to the State, indicated the La Gaceta publication.

The Scouts Association of Nicaragua had operated in the country since 1979, the year in which the Sandinista revolution triumphed. Its managers have not commented on the closure.

The scouts of Nicaragua have maintained constant activity that was disseminated on their social networks. Under the motto “Building a better world,” they dedicated special efforts to promoting scouting, a youth movement that advocates for comprehensive education and encourages contact with nature.

Their goal has been to “raise better citizens and leave this world in better conditions than they found it,” according to their Facebook page.

Daniel Ortega’s government has closed more than 3,500 non-governmental organizations since the 2018 social protests that the Sandinista administration attributed to “a failed coup d’état” organized by the political opposition, the United States and these groups. The vast majority of associations were closed in the last two years.

This last closure included four religious organizations: the Catholic Missionary Fraternity Association of the Fiat of Mary and the evangelical Association Ministry “King David” (AMIRD), Association of Evangelical Church Light in Integration and Association of the Living Doctrine of Jesus Christ Sala de Luz and Truth.

In addition, the Association of Universities of Health Sciences and Renewable Energy (UCSER), the Rotary Club of León and the Professor Ana Fernanda García Foundation – Care and Recreation Center for Adolescents of Sutiaba (FAFG-CARAS) were closed.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the eight failed to comply with their obligations because “they did not report their financial statements for more than 1 to 9 years.” In addition, “they did not promote transparency policies in the administration of the funds, ignoring the execution of projects and whether they were in accordance with their objectives and purposes.”