Nicaragua: All Public Workers Must Declare Assets by Nov. 25
They require all personnel to detail their properties and vehicles, bank accounts and outstanding loans.
By Ivan Olivares (Confidencial)
HAVANA TIMES – The Ministry of Health (Minsa) gave hospital directors and heads of similar-level centers in Nicaragua fifteen days (until November 25, 2025) to report sensitive information on all the workers under their command.
In a letter, Jose Humberto Murillo Aguilar, general director of Human Resources at the Ministry, makes it clear that everyone must submit their asset declaration. In early February 2025, CONFIDENCIAL published information on a similar directive indicating that it was “mandatory” to fill out an “initial declaration for the current position in the online system” of the Office of the Comptroller.
However, it seems they did not manage to get all workers to comply, as many refused to hand over their information to the dictatorship.
“It’s a way to keep us in check. It’s no longer enough for them to threaten to spy on our communications; now they also want us to tell them what we have, so they know what they can take away from us the day they decide to act against one of us,” said Manuel, a mid-level employee who works for that institution.
At that time, workers were given a username and password to access the Comptroller’s website, along with instructions on the information they had to provide—for themselves and their spouses. This also included assets registered in the names of their minor children.
For properties, they had to include the registry number, page number, and volume of the titles where they were recorded, as well as data on any vehicles they owned. They also had to present the numbers of all their bank accounts, including their payroll account, and the reference numbers of any active loans.
“I didn’t have a problem with them asking for that information, because I like to keep things in order, but neither my wife nor I agreed with the requirement to include her information,” explained Dionisio, a professional who held a technical position in another governmental institution.
“My wife asked why she had to present that information if she doesn’t work for the State. I agree with declaring shared assets, but not the savings she managed to accumulate through her own personal effort,” he added.
All information… before and after
In his letter, Murillo Aguilar states that the requirement imposed on workers is based on Article 20 of Law No. 438, the Law on Probity of Public Servants, which establishes who must submit an asset declaration. He cites that “every public servant of the State must report their assets before assuming the position and after leaving it.”
Although historically those obliged to present this information were higher-ranking officials, Murillo Aguilar clarifies that “the above applies regardless of the position the public servant holds or the rank they occupy.” In case there is any doubt, he reiterates that this includes every official, public employee, and worker. All are required to submit their asset declaration.
He then instructs administrators of health entities to submit a list of all personnel, including a “personal, non-institutional” email address. With that information, they will proceed to register the workers in the User Access Module of the Asset Declarations Control System.
Next, the system will send each worker an individual email containing their username and password so they can complete their asset declaration. Although the letter refers to MINSA personnel, Manuel noted that colleagues of his who work in the courts, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Labor were also required to file this asset declaration.
“Until now, they were only demanding it from people in high positions, but now it’s across the board: they’re going after everyone,” he said. Manuel believes this imposition “is to collect more taxes from us and see what else they can take. I’d say they’re in full ‘shake-down’ mode,” he said. Additionally, he thinks the reason for demanding this information is that “these people are paranoid, and since they see enemies everywhere, they want to see whether the gringos are financing someone.”
Dionisio notes that the asset declaration is being imposed as a requirement both for climbing the ranks within the government hierarchy and for processing severance pay when resigning or being fired. In the end, it doesn’t even serve that purpose, because “they never pay you that severance anyway.”
First published in Spanish by Confidencial and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.