Nicaragua's tax chief, linked to imprisoned former treasurer, resigns

Nicaragua's Directorate General of Revenue (DGI) has seen a significant leadership change with the resignation of Martín Gustavo Rivas Ruiz, who held the position for 15 years. The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has accepted Rivas Ruiz's departure, citing "health reasons" as the official cause.

Sources within the regime suggest Rivas Ruiz was closely associated with Francisco “Chico” López Centeno, the former treasurer of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). López Centeno has been in prison since May 14. The resignation comes just a month after the superintendent of justice, Wendy Morales Urbina, effectively took control of both the DGI and the Directorate General of Customs Services (DGA), actions that have reportedly caused unease within these institutions.

Morales Urbina is considered a key operative for Murillo within the state apparatus. Her increased control over the revenue agencies has been accompanied by dismissals and forced resignations, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty. Francisco José Baltodano Díaz, director of Fiscalization at the DGI, is among those reportedly dismissed.

Rivas Ruiz, a retired police captain, had been the director of the DGI since 2011. His replacement is Walter Petters Cuadra, a long-serving official within the Ortega-Murillo government. Petters Cuadra was previously appointed as a member of the Production Development Bank in October 2025 and served as the director-general of Fiscal Policy and Statistics at the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit. The DGI under his leadership faces ongoing accusations from businesses and taxpayers of operating as an extortion system through dubious valuations, audits, and fiscal adjustments.

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Murillo is the one who benefits (from Rivas' resignation). She already manages taxes directly, through Ovidio Reyes (president of the Central Bank).