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🇳🇮 Nicaragua /Energy & Infrastructure

Nicaragua puts water transport under Army control

From Confidencial · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Documents & data Approved/passed
  • Nicaragua's National Assembly approved a law making the General Directorate of Aquatic Transport an autonomous state entity under the Nicaraguan Army.
  • The agency will regulate navigation safety, authorize public water-transport fares, issue permits and oversee shipyards and maritime agreements.
  • The move came one day after Army chief Julio César Avilés reiterated support for a constitutional amendment that would strengthen Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo's hold on power.

Nicaragua's National Assembly has transferred control of aquatic transport to the country's military by placing the General Directorate of Aquatic Transport under the Nicaraguan Army.

The assembly approved the law on September 3, 2026, elevating the directorate, previously attached to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, into an autonomous state entity. The new body will retain continuity with the ministry's former directorate while gaining technical, administrative and financial autonomy.

The law gives the agency responsibility for regulating and controlling aquatic transport related to navigation safety and associated services. It will authorize public water-transport fares, issue ship registrations, patents and navigation permits, set fines, formulate policies and regulations, supervise shipyards and promote international maritime agreements.

the objective of regulating, overseeing and controlling aquatic transport as it relates to navigation safety and the services provided for that purpose

· Nicaragua's National Assembly lawThe law states the purpose of the new autonomous directorate.

The agency will operate under the Army's control and oversight. A new provision in the Military Organization Code assigns the Army responsibility for exercising control and tutelage over the directorate. The agency may also issue resolutions or agreements in consultation with the Army. Its civilian employees will remain covered by Nicaragua's Civil Service and Administrative Career Law.

The measure was formalized a day after Army chief General Julio César Avilés reiterated his support for a constitutional amendment that would entrench Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo in power. The law describes the new directorate as having sufficient legal and operational capacity to apply national and international navigation rules and help maintain conditions for the safety certification of Nicaragua's ports and maritime spaces.

exercise control and tutelage over the General Directorate of Aquatic Transport, as an autonomous entity attached to the Nicaraguan Army

· Nicaragua's Military Organization CodeThe amended code defines the Army's authority over the directorate.
About this summary

Originally published by Confidencial in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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