Nicaragua: Ortega closes two more universities

The Nicaraguan regime has withdrawn permits from two more universities alleging alleged irregularities that have already served in the past to close and outlaw parties and organizations contrary to the lines defended by the country’s president, Daniel Ortega.

Those affected are the Panamerican University of Nicaragua (UPAN) and the University of the Pacific (UNIP), both private institutions registered as associations, which have joined the ten universities canceled since 2022.

So far this year, at least three universities have been dissolved, reported the newspaper ‘La Prensa’.

According to the communiqué published in ‘La Gaceta’, the official newspaper of the Ortega regime, among the irregularities cited to justify the withdrawal of UPAN’s permit is that it does not have the necessary infrastructure to offer its academic offerings and that it is not authorized to provide degrees abroad, among others.

Regarding UNIP, the official gazette underlines that the institution “does not comply with the minimum requirements regarding scientific research, full-time teachers and institutional structure”.

Like UPAN, it is also not authorized to offer careers abroad, among other alleged irregularities.

The universities were one of the focal points of protests in 2018 when thousands of people demonstrated against the Ortega regime in unprecedented mobilizations, which in opposition circles is understood as another repressive measure by the authorities.

With information from LGI