The government’s move adds to its crackdown on opposition groups, religious orders, and civic organisations amid growing international condemnation.

Nicaragua’s government has passed a law ordering the closure of the Red Cross, marking a significant escalation in its crackdown on civil society organisations. This latest move follows the closure of numerous charities, religious orders, and non-governmental groups critical of the government.

The Nicaraguan legislature, controlled by President Daniel Ortega’s Sandinista party, accuses the Red Cross of contributing to unrest during the 2018 anti-government protests. The Red Cross has defended itself, stating that it merely provided medical aid to the injured during the demonstrations.

As part of the new legislation, the government has directed the Health Department to establish a “new Nicaragua Red Cross,” although the financial feasibility of this plan remains unclear. The existing Red Cross, which has operated since 1958 and is funded by domestic donations, will have its assets seized and transferred to the state.

The 2018 protests resulted in the deaths of at least 355 people, with many more injured, according to human rights organisations. Since then, the Ortega government has been on a mission to silence dissent, jailing or forcing into exile nearly all of the country’s organised opposition. More than 3,000 civic organisations and NGOs have been outlawed or shut down, many of which were involved in providing essential services such as healthcare in one of the region’s poorest countries.

In addition to the Red Cross, the government has also targeted other civic institutions, including the 94-year-old Nicaraguan Academy of Letters and an equestrian centre. Ortega’s administration has accused these organisations and activists of colluding with foreign powers to destabilise his government.

The crackdown has extended beyond secular groups, with the Vatican recently closing its embassy in Nicaragua following the government’s proposal to sever diplomatic ties. Last year, two orders of Catholic nuns, including the Missionaries of Charity, were expelled, and prominent Bishop Rolando Álvarez was sentenced to 26 years in prison after refusing to board a flight that would have sent him into exile.

Álvarez was also stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship as part of the government’s broader efforts to silence opposition voices.