(Photo by Zenia Nuñez via Flickr/CC BY 2.0 DEED)
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Nicaragua is a country in Central America that gained independence from Spain in 1821. Since then, different governments have controlled the country, and foreign involvement, especially by the United States, has been a factor in its running.
However, elections starting in the late 1980s began a path towards democratic governance following the end of the Contras war, in which the country fought against US-funded militias. The leading organization in this fight against the Contras was the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), a left-wing political party. They soon gained control of the Nicaraguan government, followed by losing elections in the 2000s before winning again in the 2010s and 2024.
The elections saw Daniel Ortega of the FSLN party win multiple times over nearly 40 years. However, these results became less competitive as electoral competition dwindled, and rules allowed Ortega to continue ruling. Ortega’s control led to efforts that reduced the number of organizations that could oppose his continued rule — a significant part being the domestic non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that try to back up a different political stance.
Civil Society and NGOs
NGOs are non-governmental organizations that often fill societal roles not undertaken by the government or individuals within a society, such as providing services to people or communities in need, researching and informing issues, and activism. They create avenues for organizing people outside the government, building resilience against government hostility.
Globally, governments’ hostility toward NGOs usually comes from seeing them as a form of resistance external to the government, which can potentially change the public’s perception of government actions or responsibilities. In addition, due to their non-governmental status, these organizations are often not as committed to the government’s agenda as government organizations would.
In the case of Nicaragua, the government targets NGOs such as church organizations and humanitarian aid groups. The churches have had prominent leaders speaking out against Daniel Ortega and his government’s closure of independent voices in the country, such as radio stations and news journals.
Alternatively, foreign powers can influence some NGOs, threatening the country’s political stability and trust in the government. As in Nicaragua, where the U.S. most recently illegally funded the Contras, there are legitimate examples of countries trying to fund groups to influence another country.
Fortunately, most NGOs are not militant like the Contras and only intend to provide charitable assistance in most cases. For instance, Doctors Without Borders is one of many NGOs centered around bringing medical aid to countries in conflict or needing medical staff to fill gaps.
Crackdowns on Nicaragua’s NGOs and their Resistance
The Nicaraguan government, however, sees independent organizations, from churches to newsgroups, sports associations to universities, as a counter to continue their control of the government. Since 2018, Amnesty International has reported on the crackdown on dissidents in the country; most prominent among them were NGOs like the Nicaraguan Red Cross.
Most significant is the violence inflicted by security personnel on dissidents and punishing them with the stripping of citizenship, which greatly undermined people’s security because lacking citizenship could deny them access to essential services.
Raising online awareness has been a prominent strategy in resisting the Ortega government’s narratives, as the oppression has been targeting organizational personnel. The strategy is important in preserving freedom of information in opposition to such authoritarian crackdowns. When in-person resistance becomes too deadly, it can be a lifeline for organizations to continue their work.
However, for the different NGOs in the country, continuing online will require working with a new law that targets any speech thought that “incites hatred or violence, or puts at risk economic stability, public health, national sovereignty or law and order.” Furthermore, the Ortega government has control of the judiciary; charges of treason or other crimes can be placed on those posting anything considered seditious. One essential workaround is using different phrasing that avoids what has been charged as treasonous speech in the past.
Response from Around the Globe and the Future of Nicaragua’s Civil Society
The international response to the Nicaragua government’s crackdown on NGOs has been split. For countries that supported Ortega as the head of the FDSLN, many still see him as a leader against Western influence in left-wing countries due to his fighting against the Contras in the past. As such, responses are limited from those countries, focusing on the status of election monitoring and NGOs in Nicaragua.
On the other hand, Western countries, led by the United States, Canada, and the EU, have sanctioned Ortega and the Nicaraguan government due to the repression of dissent in the country. The most significant response from them has been allowing political refugees to flee and leave for countries like Costa Rica and the United States.
With Ortega secure in his power, the country will likely continue to pursue authoritarian measures that restrain dissent against the government. When political parties are no longer a possible vehicle, the NGOs become a significant avenue for showing dissent in Nicaragua’s civil society. Particularly, online connections and advocacy by NGOs in the country will be meaningful in the crackdown since 2018 which has targeted in-person protests as their main strategy.
Edited by Alexandra Hu
