Newly passed law allows state to take over six universities

Nicaraguan lawmakers loyal to President Daniel Ortega on Monday 7 February passed legislation allowing the state to take over six universities the government effectively shut down last week, in a move critics say entrenches authoritarianism, writes Ismael Lopez for Reuters.

The private universities include the Polytechnic University of Nicaragua, the hotbed of student anti-government demonstrations in 2018. Students and colleges played a key role in the 2018 nationwide protests that at one point threatened to bring down Ortega’s government. More than 300 people were killed during the ensuing crackdown widely condemned by rights groups.

Maria Asuncion Moreno, a professor of constitutional law, said Ortega was trying to stamp out critical thinking. The government has also stripped five foreign universities of their operating permits inside Nicaragua, citing violations. For some of the universities, the licences were linked to programmes they run inside Nicaragua.
Full report on the Reuters site