More than 120 environmental organizations had their legal personality canceled by the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega; which generates a “direct impact” on the work of protecting nature, asserts Amaru Ruiz, director of Fundación del Río.
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Nature Protection Day is celebrated around the world every October 18 since 1972, being a reminder of the importance of preserving and protecting the natural environment.
nAround the world, organizations, governments, and citizens come together in events and activities aimed at highlighting the importance of nature protection. This may include reforestation campaigns, beach cleanups, talks on environmental conservation and the promotion of sustainable policies.
In Nicaragua, the work around the protection of nature has been greatly affected by the closure of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which so far there are records of more than 120 organizations that were canceled by the regime. Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo through the National Assembly, according to environmentalist Amaru Ruiz.
In the opinion of Ruiz, director of Fundación del Río, one of the canceled NGOs, this action represents a “direct impact” on the work they carried out around the protection of nature.
“There is definitely a great impact on that organized society that was dedicated to issues of nature protection through its associations and other groups,” he commented, referring to the workers and environmentalists who have been forced into exile.
Even with the limitations imposed on non-governmental natural protection organizations, the work has not stopped for some of them, says Amaru Ruiz, who highlights the efforts they continue to make through the communities and territorial leaderships, which allows for greater monitoring of the situation in the country.
The territorial work carried out by NGOs such as Fundación del Río has made it possible to find some activities that put the conservation of environmental systems and the survival of communities at risk, such as extensive livestock farming, the monoculture system and mining concessions.
nAmong the functions that these organizations fulfilled within Nicaragua is the support and conservation of the country’s protected areas, the protection of wildlife, environmental education processes, research processes and monitoring of the impact evaluation system for the country.
And the hunt for the advance of extractive companies.nnAccording to the Official Gazette La Gaceta, the last environmental organization from which its legal status was withdrawn was the Young Environmentalists Club through ministerial agreement number 93-2023 on July 27.
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Given their withdrawal of legal status, the organization thanked the media and young Nicaraguans who showed solidarity with them, highlighting the work they did in the country and the preparation that generations of members received to carry out environmental protection in their communities.
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This day has become a global platform to raise awareness about the fragility of our planet and the urgent need to take measures to safeguard it, with the protection of nature being an essential aspect, not only for the survival of plant and animal species, but also for the well-being of humanity.
