Nicaragua Orders Red Cross to Cease Operations as Daniel Ortega's Crackdown on Dissent Continues

In a continued crackdown on dissent, Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega takes a new turn by targeting the Red Cross and forcing the non-profit health organization to close down its operations in the country.

The Ortega administration has so far taken out religious orders like the Roman Catholic Church, as well as charities and other civic groups like the Red Cross, which was ordered to shutter operations after a vote by the country's National Assembly, which is dominated by Ortega's Sandinista party and a few allied parties.

The party has also ordered its Health Department to create "a new Nicaragua Red Cross." The Associated Press reported that this closure of the Red Cross in Nicaragua comes as the country's health system has become overstretched.

It is also unclear where the money for this new "Red Cross" organization would come from. The Red Cross in Nicaragua was accused of "attacks on peace and stability" during the massive 2018 protests.

However, the health organization noted that they only helped treat injured protesters. However, this was not enough for the authoritarian government.

During the massive anti-government protests in 2018, rights groups estimated that 355 people were killed while as many as 2,000 people were injured.

Many of those protesters were helped by the Red Cross, while some sought refuge in Catholic churches. Helping the protesters was enough to have the government launch a crusade against these organizations.

Red Cross in Nicaragua is largely funded by domestic donations. However, with this new law, all the charity group's properties in the country will be confiscated and turned over to the government.

IAPA Says Repression Worsening in Nicaragua

The Nicaraguan government arrested three journalists since the beginning of April. That led to the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) to condemn the continuing repression in the country as it slides further into chaos, according to E&P.

The organization reportedly urged the international community to denounce these arrests as the Ortega regime continued its persecution of the media and other organizations not affiliated with the Sandinista Party.

Among those arrested is Canal 10 news director and correspondent Hazel Zamora. She was reportedly arrested last May 5 while traveling on a bus with her minor children.

Police also raided her home as she was accused of conspiring against the state and society and spreading false news, which is now considered an act of treason in Nicaragua.

Religious Persecution Continues in Nicaragua

The Roman Catholic Church remains one of Daniel Ortega's biggest opponents, leading to the persecution of the country's biggest religion.

According to The Tablet, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom has designated Nicaragua as a "country of particular concern" (CPC) in its annual report.

The report highlighted the increasing persecution of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua due to the president's feud with the church.

The US report found that Nicaragua "escalated its campaign of harassment and severe persecution against the Catholic Church by targeting clergy, eliminating Church-affiliated organizations, and placing restrictions on religious observances."

Thus, violating freedom of religion. The Ortega regime has also been accused of hate speech against the Catholic Church.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Five Years Since a Crackdown Began, What's Next for Nicaragua? - From Al Jazeera English