Nicaragua closes US Chamber of Commerce and 150 other organizations

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nicaragua’s government has closed another 151 nongovernmental organizations, among them some of the most important trade organizations, including the American Chamber of Commerce. The decree issued by the Interior Ministry on Thursday comes just days after the government shuttered some 1,500 nongovernmental organizations, many of them religious in nature. President Daniel Ortega has targeted nongovernmental organizations since 2018 mass protests, alleging that organizations receiving foreign funds were involved in what he considered an attempt to oust him from office. To date, his government has closed more than 5,000. The U.S. chamber focused on promoting investment and bilateral trade with Nicaragua’s most important trade partner.