Central America
Nicaraguan government seizes assets of one of the country’s most prestigious Jesuit universities
August 17|
The Nicaraguan Justice, controlled by the government presided by Daniel Ortega, ordered the Jesuit Central American University (UCA), one of the most prestigious private study centers in the country, to transfer its movable and immovable assets, as well as its bank accounts, to the State of Nicaragua, the educational institution informed on Wednesday.
The UCA, founded in 1960, confirmed through an email to the educational community and shared with EFE, that on Tuesday, at 17:29 hours (23:29 GMT), they received an official notice from Judge Gloria María Saavedra, head of the Tenth Criminal District Court of Hearings Managua District, notifying them of this and other measures.
In the official notice, the Jesuit university was notified of “the seizure of real estate, furniture, money in national or foreign currency from the immobilized bank accounts, financial products in national or foreign currency property of the UCA”, according to the letter.
The judge also ordered “that the seizure of all the goods described in the previous point be in favor of the State of Nicaragua, which will guarantee the continuity of all educational programs”.
Likewise, the judge sent notices to the Public Registry of Real Estate and Commercial Property, to the Superintendence of Banks, to the National Directorate of Registries, to the National Police and to the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic, “for the purposes of their charges”.
“The above measures are taken in correspondence to unfounded accusations that the Central American University functioned as a center of terrorism, organizing criminal groups,” explained the university.
“In the face of all this, the UCA reiterates its commitment to Nicaraguan society for a high quality higher education and faithful to its founding principles for 63 years,” it added.
He also thanked “the trust, solidarity and closeness expressed by students, teachers, administrative staff and the Nicaraguan society that identifies with the principles and values of this Alma Mater”.
In view of this official letter, the Jesuit university, whose rector is the priest Rolando Enrique Alvarado López, decided to suspend as of today “all academic and administrative activities, until it is possible to resume them in an ordinary manner, which will be informed through the official communication channels of the University”.
Last week, Nicaraguan authorities froze the bank accounts of the Jesuit university and immobilized its properties, amidst the friction between the Ortega government and the Nicaraguan Catholic Church.
On the other hand, the Directorate of Alternative Dispute Resolution (Dirac), attached to the Supreme Court of Justice, revoked last Monday the accreditation of the Mediation Center of the UCA, four months after the same entity renewed its accreditation.
In March 2022, Nicaraguan authorities excluded the UCA from the 6% constitutional allocation that universities receive annually.
In September of the same year, UCA Vice Rector Jorge Huete was banned from entering the country after a work trip to Argentina.
Former UCA rector José Alberto Idiáquez, who participated in a dialogue that sought to overcome the crisis Nicaragua has been going through since April 2018, was also unable to return to the country in July 2022, after traveling to Mexico to attend to health problems.
The Jesuit university was the scene of dozens of marches against the Ortega government, in the context of the crisis that Nicaragua has been going through since April 2018.
Also on May 30, 2018, it opened its doors to thousands of students who sought refuge after participating in a massive opposition march in Managua, called “The mother of all marches”, which ended bathed in blood, just after Ortega sentenced in a speech to his followers that “Nicaragua belongs to all of us and here we all stay”.
It also hosted the exhibition “Ama y no Olvida: Museo de la Memoria contra la Impunidad”, promoted by the Asociación de Madres de Abril (AMA), which seeks to remember those killed during the anti-government demonstrations in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua has been going through a political and social crisis since April 2018, which has been accentuated after the controversial general elections of November 7, 2021, in which Ortega was reelected for a fifth term with his main contenders in prison.
Central America
White House targets Nicaragua over human rights and labor violations
The White House is considering imposing new tariffs of up to 100% on Nicaragua or removing the country from the benefits of the CAFTA-DR free trade agreement, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) reported Monday.
The USTR determined that Nicaragua’s policies under the Ortega-Murillo regime regarding violations of labor and human rights, as well as the dismantling of the rule of law, are “unreasonable” and constitute a burden on commerce.
The resolution follows an investigation that began on December 10, 2024, when the USTR, based on recommendations from the Section 301 Committee and other advisory bodies, started reviewing the practices of Nicaragua’s government. The process included a public hearing and more than 160 comments and testimonies, including evidence of severe human rights abuses that have been forwarded to the U.S. State Department for evaluation and follow-up.
The report published Monday extensively documents how Nicaragua’s authoritarian practices — including the repression of fundamental freedoms — create a high-risk environment for U.S. businesses and investments.
Central America
Environmental groups denounce Nicaragua’s mining deals as ‘ecocide’ in protected areas
The Nicaraguan government has granted three new open-pit mining concessions to two Chinese companies, covering a total area of 21,303.15 hectares in the departments of Nueva Segovia and Boaco, according to an announcement published Friday in the Official Gazette La Gaceta.
The company Three Gold Coins Company S.A. received two permits to extract metallic and non-metallic minerals — one for the El Parquer site, covering 6,513.15 hectares in Wiwilí, Nueva Segovia, and another for the La Virgen site, covering 1,428.94 hectares in Quilalí, also in Nueva Segovia. The second firm, Little Stone Mine S.A., obtained the third concession for the El Triunfo site, spanning 13,361.06 hectares in Boaco.
These new authorizations add to nearly 30 mining concessions granted to Chinese companies over the past two years, now encompassing approximately 600,000 hectares, including areas within the Río San Juan Biosphere Reserve, according to official data.
The environmental organization Fundación del Río, led by exiled activist Amaru Ruiz, denounced the new concessions, arguing they violate the Law on Communal Property of Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Communities. The NGO stated that the repeal of the regulation protecting natural reserves—replaced on May 6 by the new Law on Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Development Areas—has left key ecosystems without legal protection.
The group also warned about the expansion of illegal artisanal mining within the Río San Juan Reserve, claiming that these concessions effectively legalize extractive activities in protected areas.
Meanwhile, the Platform for Unity and Democracy (PUDE), a coalition of Nicaraguan opposition figures in exile, condemned the government’s massive handover of indigenous lands to Chinese companies, calling it an “ecocide.” The organization said some concessions directly threaten the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve and the Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge, both bordering Costa Rica.
Central America
Panama’s president accuses U.S. Embassy official of visa threats amid China tensions
Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino on Thursday accused a U.S. embassy official of threatening to revoke visasfor government officials and civilians amid discussions about the Central American country’s ties with China.
“It’s true, and I have information from several sources, that an official from the embassy is going around threatening to take away visas. That is not consistent with the good relationship I aspire to maintain with the United States,” the president said during his weekly press conference, without naming the U.S. official.
Mulino made the remarks in response to a journalist’s question about alleged pressure from the embassy on lawyers, lawmakers, and ministers in his administration.
“They are free to grant or revoke visas as they see fit, but not by threatening that if you don’t do something, your visa will be taken away. Whether they revoke it or not, I don’t know. But the bilateral problem we cannot ignore is the U.S.-China issue, which ultimately does not benefit Panama,” Mulino said.
He added that Panama should not get involved in disputes between other countries.
“Much less should we accept this kind of pressure, if it exists, to undermine legal certainty regarding contracts or business operations in Panama,” the president stressed. “All I aspire to is respect,” he concluded.
In early September, the U.S. announced a new visa restriction policy targeting Central American citizens with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. In a press release, the U.S. State Department said the country “is committed to countering China’s corrupt influence in Central America and preventing its attempts to subvert the rule of law.”
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