INTERNACIONAL
How CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin’s family foundation became a major funder of left-wing activist groups
CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin’s family foundation became a major financial backer of a network of left-wing activist organizations over more than two decades, providing nearly $3.2 million to CodePink while also bankrolling protest groups, legal advocacy organizations and progressive nonprofits, a Digital investigation found.
The foundation, Arc of Justice, is a $54.6 million private foundation formerly known as The Benjamin Fund. A review of its complete IRS filing history found it made nearly 1,500 grants totaling about $24.6 million to organizations involved in anti-war activism, progressive policy, legal advocacy and campaigns involving immigration enforcement, China, Cuba and the Israel-Hamas war.
Among its largest recipients were CodePink, Global Exchange, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Grassroots International and Social Good Fund, alongside grants to dozens of other organizations involved in anti-war activism, progressive policy, legal advocacy and progressive media.
Arc of Justice provided CodePink more than twice the approximately $1.33 million the group received from the funding network linked to Shanghai-based Marxist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham. A previous five-part Digital investigation found Singham’s network directed at least $278 million into organizations that promoted pro-China messaging.
LAWMAKERS THROW OUT ‘TROJAN HORSE’ ACTIVISTS THEY SAY ARE ENGAGED IN AMERICAN SUBVERSION
Arc of Justice has come under scrutiny after California revoked its charitable registration following years of financial compliance failures, though the foundation has been working to regain its standing with California regulators.
Benjamin, who co-founded CodePink with Singham’s wife Jodie Evans, has remained one of the group’s most visible public faces, frequently leading protests and interrupting congressional hearings. On Tuesday, she was escorted from a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on alleged foreign malign influence after protesting during the proceedings.
The Digital investigation also found the foundation itself has undergone sweeping changes in recent months, with Benjamin stepping down from the board, new leadership taking over and the organization saying it intends to chart a different course for its charitable giving.
Arc of Justice began funding CodePink in 2009 and provided grants to the organization in 15 tax years through 2024, totaling $3,195,280.
According to the documents, CodePink was Arc of Justice’s largest activist beneficiary. Since 2009, the foundation and its predecessor, The Benjamin Fund, also directed about $2.05 million to Global Exchange, the anti-war and social justice advocacy group Benjamin co-founded with her former husband, Kevin Danaher, which has long campaigned against U.S. military intervention and economic sanctions.
Arc of Justice also provided about $2.24 million to Grassroots International, which funds grassroots social movements around the world; $1.61 million to Social Good Fund, which provides nonprofit infrastructure and fundraising support for charitable projects; about $1.29 million to the Center for Constitutional Rights, a legal advocacy organization; and about $114,000 to Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), an activist nonprofit.
AFGJ has drawn scrutiny over its past fiscal sponsorship of Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian activist group later sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury. Benjamin said Arc’s final grant to Alliance for Global Justice was $10,000 in 2022 and that the foundation «was not aware of any specific groups fiscally sponsored by AFGJ» when it made its grants.
Through attorney David Levitt, the foundation said both CodePink and Alliance for Global Justice were recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt public charities and that Arc was entitled to rely on that status when making its grants.
The grantmaking reached across a much broader activist network. Since 2009, IRS filings reviewed by Digital show Arc of Justice and its predecessor gave about $492,000 to World Beyond War, roughly $255,000 to the Institute for Policy Studies and about $124,000 to Jewish Voice for Peace. It also gave $110,000 to Grassroots Global Justice and about $90,000 to the Center for Popular Democracy.
IRS filings also show Arc of Justice and its predecessor provided about $65,500 to Democracy Now! since 2009, where Benjamin has frequently appeared as a guest over the years.
Founded in 2002 with the aim of preventing the Iraq War, CodePink has grown into one of the country’s most visible anti-war protest groups, repeatedly disrupting congressional hearings and protests involving senior U.S. officials, including then-Secretaries of State John Kerry and Mike Pompeo. The group has also participated in nationwide No Kings protests, opposed ICE enforcement actions, organized anti-Israel rallies and campaigned against U.S. policy toward China, Cuba and Iran. Earlier this year, CodePink led a delegation to Cuba that included Twitch political streamer Hasan Piker.
Asked about Arc’s long-term funding of CodePink and other activist organizations, Matthew Johnson, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, said sustained financial support can have an impact well beyond the dollar amounts involved.
«Small amounts of money can actually go a long way toward impacting the broader media ecosystem… from the perspective of political organization, they may be having an outsized impact on the kind of information that is available to Americans,» Johnson told Digital.
Johnson, who testified before Congress Tuesday about how foreign adversaries may use nonprofits and other organizations to shape U.S. public opinion and policy, told lawmakers that CodePink launched its «China Is Not Our Enemy» campaign in 2020 following meetings in Beijing and has since pursued China-focused advocacy and organized travel. The campaign argued the United States should pursue cooperation with Beijing rather than confrontation. CodePink and Benjamin have denied taking direction from the Chinese government.
WATCH: Heritage Foundation senior fellow confronts CodePink’s Medea Benjamin before House hearing
Benjamin told Digital the grants were intended to support CodePink’s anti-war work.
«The foundation’s donations to CodePink were made to support its anti-war work,» she said in an email response.
At the House hearing on Tuesday, Benjamin also rejected suggestions that she or CodePink took direction from foreign governments. «I’ve been an anti-war activist from the days of Vietnam,» Benjamin said. «I never had a foreign government tell me what to do.»
Singham and the organizations he has funded, identified in the Digital report, have denied taking direction from the Chinese government, and neither Singham, Benjamin nor the organizations have been charged with wrongdoing.
CHINA EXPERT WARNS BEIJING WANTS AMERICANS — NOT THE CCP — TO SPREAD ITS MESSAGE
Arc of Justice was formerly known as The Benjamin Fund, Inc., with California corporate records showing the foundation formally changed its name in November 2019.
Benjamin’s father, Alvin Benjamin, a prominent Long Island real estate developer who founded The Benjamin Companies in the early 1960s, provided some of the foundation’s earliest documented financial backing.
The Benjamin Fund’s initial 2003 IRS return shows he contributed a partnership interest valued at $683,715 to the foundation, with Medea Susan Benjamin serving as president.
Much larger contributions followed. In 2010, the estate of Benjamin’s mother, Rose Benjamin, contributed $10,863,060, according to the foundation’s IRS filing. Five years later, the Estate of Alvin Benjamin contributed another $15 million, followed by another $8,603,450 in 2019.
Medea Benjamin — identified as Susan Benjamin on the filing — personally contributed $1 million to Arc of Justice in 2022, listing a Miami address.
Arc of Justice’s wealth was largely tied to an investment portfolio that continued to grow while the foundation distributed millions of dollars in grants.
Federal tax returns reviewed by Digital show the foundation’s assets grew from $39.63 million at the end of 2020 to $54.64 million in 2024, as it distributed millions of dollars annually in grants.
Arc of Justice generated much of its annual income from its investment portfolio, collecting dividends from stocks and mutual funds, interest on cash holdings and profits from investments that had increased in value.
In 2023, the foundation reported nearly $2 million in revenue, including $1.11 million in dividends and interest from securities, $166,421 in interest on savings and temporary cash investments and $686,919 in net gains from asset sales.
Its investment holdings also produced substantial gains as the portfolio increased in value. In 2020, Arc of Justice reported $12,344,501 in unrealized gains on securities, helping push its year-end assets to nearly $40 million.
Over more than two decades, IRS filings reviewed by Digital repeatedly reported no compensation for the foundation’s officers and no highly paid employees, while the foundation directed millions of dollars to outside organizations.
After California revoked Arc of Justice’s charitable registration, Digital reported that a new Florida nonprofit using the Arc of Justice name was incorporated at the Miami home of Benjamin’s longtime partner, Tighe Barry, raising questions about the future of the foundation and whether its assets or operations were being moved out of California.
The address is a modest turquoise home largely obscured by trees — an unassuming setting for an organization tied to a private foundation with more than $50 million in assets. Benjamin and Barry have frequently appeared together at CodePink demonstrations over the years.
Levitt later told Digital the Florida corporation had been created as a «placeholder» while the foundation considered relocating its operations from California, but the move was never completed. He said the California corporation was never formally dissolved, no assets were transferred and the Florida entity «holds no assets and has conducted no business.»
The foundation has been attempting to get its registration reinstated after recently filing five years of overdue reports covering 2020 through 2024 and paying $1,800 in filing fees and penalties as part of a petition for reinstatement, documents submitted to California regulators show.
$54M CODEPINK-LINKED FOUNDATION SHUT DOWN IN CALIFORNIA POPS UP AT RAMSHACKLE MIAMI HOME
In the reinstatement petition, Levitt attributed the missed filings to what he described as an administrative misunderstanding over whether the foundation had successfully relocated from California to Florida.
He wrote that, during the tenure of the foundation’s «former president,» who served through the end of 2025, foundation leaders believed Arc was no longer subject to California’s charitable registration requirements because it had moved to Florida.
The petition says the foundation later appointed a «new president,» who discovered the compliance problems in 2026 and began the process of bringing the organization back into compliance. The petition also states that the foundation’s directors and officers personally paid the penalty portion of the overdue filing fees.
The filings identify Maya Danaher, Benjamin’s daughter, as president of the California foundation. Danaher previously served as the foundation’s treasurer before becoming president.
«As previously reported, I have resigned from the foundation’s board, and its new management will set its own funding priorities going forward,» Benjamin said.
LAWMAKERS SAY THEY ARE STANDING AT THE GATES AGAINST ‘TROJAN HORSES’ PROMOTING MALIGN FOREIGN INTERESTS
It is unclear why Benjamin resigned from the board, why the proposed move to Florida was ultimately abandoned or why the foundation’s new leadership decided to shift its grantmaking priorities away from the causes it had supported for more than two decades.
Benjamin was not listed as an officer or director of the Florida corporation, where Barry was listed as secretary and registered agent.
Its stated goal is blunt: «WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT SOCIAL JUSTICE NON PROFITS,» according to the articles of incorporation.
Levitt said the foundation’s new leadership intends to shift its grantmaking away from the causes it historically supported.
«Going forward, the foundation’s new management intends to focus its grant-making on domestic childhood enrichment programs and organizations that support the well-being of children, families and individuals in need throughout the U.S.,» Levitt said.
WATCH: Cuba expert says CodePink acts like a ‘Trojan horse’ for communist interests inside the US
investigations, charity, politics, us protests, china, cuba, immigration
INTERNACIONAL
‘Big difference’: Dem’s last-minute endorsement gives GOP new hope in crucial Senate battle
OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN — Michigan’s Republican ticket had a clear message for voters preparing to vote in the midterm elections: Their path to victory relies on winning over voters who typically don’t align themselves with the GOP.
That prospect appeared to be buoyed by Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens’ 11th-hour endorsement of Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers over her primary rival, Abdul El-Sayed. Early Monday afternoon, Republican operatives in Michigan blasted out a press release advertising an event just hours later intended to tout Stevens’ endorsement and its purported impact on Black and Jewish voters.
In front of a throng of press at the Michigan GOP’s headquarters, six community leaders representing African Americans and Jews criticized what they saw as El-Sayed’s excesses and lauded Stevens’ endorsement of Rogers. Broadly, they argued that El-Sayed had insufficiently distanced himself from some of his radical associations, that Stevens’ endorsement had real significance for the race and that they were seeing an unprecedented groundswell of support for Republicans among their peers.
MIKE ROGERS DISHES ON HOW SHOCK HALEY STEVENS ENDORSEMENT UNFOLDED HOURS BEFORE ELECTION DAY
In addition to the community leaders, close to two dozen others — many of whom were Black or Jewish — attended the event as well. While some political observers have cast doubt on the impact of Stevens’ endorsement and the degree to which African Americans and Jews are defecting from the Democratic Party, members of those communities told Digital the shift is happening.
«I believe it’s going to make a big difference that she came out,» Michelle Nard, an African American former Democrat running for state Senate, told Digital. «She had a big following. She’s a great congresswoman, a great state representative for the United States.»
BLACK VOTERS RIP DEMS OVER TAKING THEM FOR GRANTED IN EL-SAYED’S BACKYARD: ‘HUSH US UP’
Nard recounted how she had recently spoken to a Black woman who highlighted that her community makes a big deal of going to the polls on Election Day, a point she used to stress that Haley’s endorsement, though late in the cycle, could still influence last-second voters.
«You have strong Haley Stevens supporters in our community that will support her to the end, and then you have some that feel betrayed,» Marcus Bowman, a metro Detroit school board trustee, told Digital.
Bowman, who says he knows Stevens personally, said: «True supporters of Haley Stevens, they know her as a person and they know what she represents. I think they will follow her and respect her for her decision based off some of the radical things we’ve heard about Abdul El-Sayed.»
While those who spoke were handpicked for a Republican news conference, there is some data to back up Black voter defection. Between August and September, El-Sayed’s support among African Americans held steady at around 75%, well below the party’s typical benchmark.
POLL: MICHIGAN VOTERS SPLIT BETWEEN EL-SAYED AND ROGERS
The Arab American community in the Detroit metropolitan area has historically been at odds with African Americans in the areas across a number of issues, a theme that has come up occasionally during El-Sayed’s campaign.
While comparable polls have not found similar trends among Jewish voters, who are a much smaller part of Michigan’s electorate, a number of high-profile members of the communities, including top donors, have flocked to the Rogers camp.
«Haley, what she did was give a lot of Jews permission, hardcore left-wing Democrats, permission to now say, you know what, if Haley can endorse him, I can vote for him,» Aaron Tobin, a conservative Jewish community leader, told Digital in reference to Mike Rogers. «Now I think she’s broken that wall down, and now they can see that a hardcore Democrat — and she was very successful and very popular in Michigan — if she said Mike Rogers is good enough for her, I think a lot of Jews are going to say, ‘I’m going to vote for him because Abdul just says the worst things.’»
Ezra, another Jewish voter, told Digital that he believes Jews have increasingly been abandoned by the Democratic Party and, even if Stevens’ endorsement doesn’t move the needle, he’s grateful that she took a stand.
«The [March 12] terrorist attack in [a] West Bloomfield [synagogue], I believe was the starting point of the Detroit Jewish community being afraid and that fear was not alleviated over the next [six months]. That fear has not been alleviated by Abdul El-Sayed in any sort of way, which is why I think you’re seeing this,» he said. «We’re waiting for something and it’s not coming. And so that’s why I think you’re seeing so many in the Jewish community moving for Mike Rogers because they’re like, you know what, that guy’s going to keep my family safe. The other guy’s not.»
MAMDANI, HASAN PIKER AMONG RADICAL LEFT-WING VOICES ERUPTING OVER HALEY STEVENS’ ENDORSEMENT SWITCH
«I think in some ways, it’s, it’s more brave because it’s at the last minute. In some ways, you know what, who knows, even if it, if it’s 100 votes or 1000 votes, then it makes a difference,» he added.
These alleged breakthroughs with traditionally Democratic constituencies took center stage at Rogers’ closing rally on Monday night. At one point, the campaign invited six Black and Jewish voters, most of them former Democrats, to take the stage where they explained why they believed El-Sayed to be too extreme for their support. Rogers himself praised the group during his final campaign speech, invoked the need for unity and thanked Stevens at length for her endorsement.
Conservatives at the rally were clearly grateful to Stevens for her endorsement, with nearly every mention of her name being met with cheers or chants of her name. Republicans are even optimistic that Stevens’ endorsement could trickle down to their down-ballot races.
MICHIGAN DEM CLAIMS STEVENS SHOT DOWN ROGERS ENDORSEMENT RUMOR HOURS BEFORE TURNING ON EL-SAYED
«I was on the ground last week in Michigan and Ohio, and the momentum in Michigan is real. It was real before Haley Stevens endorsed Mike Rogers, even more real now,» Adam Piper, executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association, told Digital.
Piper said he «absolutely» believes Stevens’ endorsement will move the needle for Michigan Republican attorney general nominee Doug Lloyd.
«You know, around the Detroit area, Grosse Pointe, Detroit, elsewhere, I saw homemade yard signs in the yards of Black churches that said African Americans and Jews stand together. And that was powerful.»
Lloyd said he is optimistic that Stevens’ endorsement of Rogers could give him a boost.
«Well, I saw something today in the news that basically said 50% of the available voters have voted through absentee and early voting. We still have one day left. And as we’ve said, you know, the race isn’t done until 8 o’clock tomorrow night when the polls close,» he said. «So, if this made a difference for someone who had been sitting on the sideline and they decided they were going to get out and vote because of it, I’m excited for that.»
Democrats have argued Stevens’ endorsement could strengthen, rather than weaken, El-Sayed’s support. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said he expected the episode to galvanize Democrats, while El-Sayed’s campaign reported raising $2.4 million Sunday, its largest fundraising day of the campaign.
While cutting into the Democratic Party’s margins by successfully pulling away Black and Jewish voters could prove valuable to the GOP, a reversion among Arab voters — who swung toward Republicans in 2024 but strongly favor El-Sayed — could erase such gains. Fox News’ final power ranking rated Michigan’s Senate race as a toss-up, meaning that, as voters head to the polls, neither party holds a clear edge.
politics, abdul el sayed, michigan, midterm elections, senate elections
INTERNACIONAL
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy on defying US in attacking Russian oil: ‘Our response must be painful’
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KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is defying calls from the Trump administration for his armed forces to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, telling Fox News: «Our response must be painful.»
In an interview in Kyiv, Zelenskyy acknowledged holding discussions with the Trump administration about targeting oil facilities, attacks President Donald Trump has pinned as being partly to blame for high gas prices in the U.S.
«We had different conversations — different, and several — with President Trump and with his team about attacks on refineries,» Zelenskyy said.
«We said that if you want us not to attack Russia’s refineries, they have not to attack our energy system.»
TRUMP TELLS ZELENSKYY TO STOP DOING ‘ONE THING’ DURING ATTACKS ON RUSSIA
During an interview with Fox News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged President Donald Trump to pursue an energy cease-fire with Russia as Washington pressures Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries. (Fox News)
Ukraine has reported near-daily Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, triggering power outages just as temperatures dip ahead of winter.
«That’s why we have to respond. But our response has to be painful for Russian military people,» Zelenskyy said. «If we will not respond on energy, they will continue.»
U.S.-Ukraine relations took a further hit in October when Trump struck a deal to import millions of tons of Russian diesel to the United States.
ZELENSKYY ACCUSES PUTIN OF DEFYING TRUMP’S CEASEFIRE PUSH, SENDS POINTED MESSAGE TO WHITE HOUSE
Zelenskyy warned President Donald Trump against helping Russia while praising first lady Melania Trump’s role in securing a humanitarian evacuation from Russian-controlled territory. (Fox News)
Zelenskyy suggested Ukraine might be encouraged to hold off on further attacks on Russian oil facilities if the United States were to deliver more U.S.-made Patriot missile interceptors to protect Ukrainian skies. Pressed by Fox News on whether that might be seen as an attempt to leverage Trump, Zelenskyy said: «I don’t have any concerns when I share the truth between partners.»
«Our countries are huge partners. American society (is a) huge supporter.»
«And that’s why I have to share with (the) president the truth, the real situation: that America can’t help Russia. (The) president can’t help Putin.»
US WILL MEDIATE UPCOMING UKRAINE-RUSSIA TALKS IN ABU DHABI, WITKOFF SAYS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Fox News that Ukraine will continue targeting Russian oil refineries despite objections from the Trump administration. (Pier Marco Tacca; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Ahead of planned peace talks in the United Arab Emirates, Zelenskyy urged Trump to launch another push for a targeted ceasefire where both Russia and Ukraine refrain from attacks on energy facilities.
«If the American president thinks that this war has influence on the prices,» Zelenskyy said, «he can ask, energy ceasefire, during (the) Abu Dhabi trilateral meeting: energy ceasefire.»
Zelenskyy spoke with Fox News hours before starved and exhausted residents left the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky and crossed into Ukraine under a humanitarian truce brokered by first lady Melania Trump, the first of its kind in more than four years of war.
Zelenskyy welcomed the first lady’s initiative, calling the evacuations «a huge result,» and adding: «I don’t know how many such steps will be available for us, but if the First Lady can do it … it’s very helpful. I’m very thankful to her.»
ukraine, volodymyr zelenskyy, russia, donald trump, geopolitics, foreign policy
INTERNACIONAL
Docentes nicaragüenses reportan descuentos en sus salarios bajo el concepto de “aporte”
Las docentes del sistema público nicaragüense reportan descuentos en sus salarios bajo el concepto de “aporte”, una retención que, según testimonios recogidos por Diario La Prensa y La Sala, Mujeres en la Redacción, comenzó a aplicarse desde junio de 2026 a trabajadores estatales.
Las maestras consultadas describieron que el descuento se suma a otras retenciones legales y sindicales, así como a gastos en materiales escolares, transporte, conectividad e impresiones que deben afrontar para cumplir con sus tareas laborales.
Los testimonios publicados indican que los descuentos identificados como “aporte” oscilan según el salario de cada docente. Una profesora de Managua, identificada como Ana para proteger su identidad, afirmó que en su colilla de pago apareció una deducción de 2%, sin una explicación detallada sobre su destino.
Las boletas de pago registran descuentos bajo el concepto de “aporte”
Ana relató que conoció por noticias la posibilidad de que se aplicaran retenciones a empleados públicos en favor del Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN). Tras consultar a la dirección de su escuela, esperó una reunión que, según contó, no llegó a realizarse.
Al revisar su pago, encontró un apartado denominado “aporte”. De acuerdo con su testimonio, durante cinco meses le descontaron 260 córdobas (USD 7.02) mensuales, un total de 1,300 córdobas (USD 35.10).
“Entre más ganás, más te quitan”, dijo la profesora a Diario La Prensa y La Sala, Mujeres en la Redacción.
El diario informó que tuvo acceso a boletas de pago de docentes de distintos departamentos. En esos documentos se registraban deducciones de 2% y 5%, mientras que otros entrevistados mencionaron descuentos de mayor proporción.
El reportaje señala que estas retenciones no fueron consultadas con los trabajadores entrevistados. También cita el artículo 9 del Convenio 95 de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT), que establece restricciones a los descuentos salariales vinculados con la conservación de un empleo.
Los ingresos docentes se reducen por varias retenciones y gastos
El salario mensual del sector magisterial ronda entre 8,500 córdobas (USD 229.50) y 10,000 córdobas (USD 270), según la información publicada. Las docentes de primaria y de aulas multigrado se ubican en los niveles de remuneración más bajos, mientras que el personal de secundaria suele recibir montos superiores.
Además del “aporte”, las maestras mencionaron descuentos por seguridad social, sindicato e Impuesto sobre la Renta cuando corresponde. La cuota destinada a la Asociación Nacional de Educadores de Nicaragua (Anden) es de unos 120 córdobas (USD 3.24), de acuerdo con la nota.
Las cotizaciones al Instituto Nicaragüense de Seguridad Social representan 7% del salario. El impuesto se aplica a quienes superan los 10,000 córdobas (USD 270), según el reportaje, que estima que el conjunto de las retenciones puede superar los 2,000 córdobas (USD 54) mensuales.
Hasta julio de 2026, el costo de la canasta básica era de 21,474.94 córdobas (USD 579.82), según datos del Instituto Nacional de Información de Desarrollo citados por Diario La Prensa. Esa referencia supera los ingresos mensuales mencionados por las docentes.
Las maestras de primaria describen una carga mayor de trabajo y gastos
Verónica, una docente de secundaria de Managua con 12 años de experiencia, sostuvo que las maestras de primaria ganan menos y deben destinar más dinero a materiales y documentos para las clases.
La profesora explicó que el Ministerio de Educación (Mined) entrega algunos insumos, como cartulinas y marcadores, pero que los recursos resultan insuficientes para las actividades requeridas en los centros educativos.
“Las de primaria gastan más que nosotros”, expresó Verónica ante el diario. Indicó que ese grupo debe impartir todas las materias y elaborar documentos para las supervisiones.
La diferencia salarial también se vincula con la formación académica. El texto señala que las docentes de secundaria tienen licenciatura en Educación, mientras que muchas maestras de primaria cuentan con estudios técnicos realizados en una Escuela Normal.
Verónica relató el caso de una compañera que debía llevar a su hija al trabajo en algunas ocasiones porque no podía afrontar un servicio de cuidado infantil. Según su versión, las dificultades económicas se agravaban por los gastos asociados a la actividad docente.
Los testimonios relacionan las deducciones con menos alimentos y transporte
El profesor Gabriel Putoy, integrante de la Unidad Sindical Magisterial (USM) y ex preso político que vive fuera de Nicaragua, dijo que ha documentado descuentos de entre 200 córdobas (USD 5.40) y 470 córdobas (USD 12.69) para algunos docentes.
Putoy señaló que esas cantidades tienen consecuencias en presupuestos familiares con ingresos limitados. “Cada peso que te quitan cuenta”, afirmó ante la publicación.
El docente comparó los montos descontados con el costo de alimentos, útiles escolares y transporte. Según sus cálculos, una retención puede equivaler a tortillas, huevos, panes o marcadores que dejan de comprarse durante el mes.
Verónica afirmó que recibe 12,500 córdobas (USD 337.50) brutos, aunque su ingreso neto queda apenas por encima de los 10,000 córdobas (USD 270) después de las deducciones. También explicó que debe pagar impresiones de materiales vinculados con contenidos que no aparecen en los libros de texto.
El Banco Central de Nicaragua registraba 47,215 trabajadores en el sistema educativo público, según los datos citados en la investigación. A partir de esa cifra, el reportaje proyectó una recaudación anual superior a USD 3 millones si se aplicara el descuento mínimo mencionado sobre un salario promedio de 10,821 córdobas (USD 292.17).
La docencia es un sector integrado mayoritariamente por mujeres
Rosario Murillo afirmó en junio de 2023 que las mujeres representaban 78% de los 60,000 docentes registrados entonces en el país. El reportaje precisa que no existen datos oficiales más recientes con desglose por género.
La socióloga y feminista María Teresa Blandón dijo a Diario La Prensa que el magisterio ha estado compuesto históricamente, en su mayoría, por mujeres. Añadió que muchas docentes son jefas de hogar o aportan la mayor parte de los ingresos familiares.
“Esa cotización obligada va a afectar” a un porcentaje alto de maestras, sostuvo Blandón. La especialista indicó que algunas trabajadoras necesitan realizar labores adicionales por cuenta propia para cubrir gastos básicos.
La socióloga planteó que una reducción salarial afecta no solo a las docentes, sino también a las personas que dependen de ellas. Según explicó, los ingresos de mujeres con empleo estable suelen destinarse principalmente a las necesidades de sus hogares.
Las docentes también informan gastos en teléfonos, internet y materiales
Karen, una profesora de Granada, explicó que no tiene computadora propia y debe acudir a un cibercafé para preparar pruebas y otros documentos. Además, afirmó que paga marcadores y otros recursos para el aula.
La docente señaló que en su colegio hay computadoras, aunque dijo que con frecuencia están ocupadas. Por motivos de salud, trabaja únicamente en el turno de la mañana y no puede tomar otra plaza por la tarde.
Ana indicó que compró un teléfono inteligente por 7,000 córdobas (USD 189) para participar en grupos de WhatsApp, recibir orientaciones y enviar fotografías de actividades. También afirmó que destina 400 córdobas (USD 10.80) mensuales al acceso a internet.
Las fuentes consultadas relataron que deben asistir a actividades fuera de las aulas, incluidas marchas, jornadas de limpieza, fumigación, censos y acciones vinculadas con la matrícula escolar. Putoy afirmó que estas tareas en ocasiones se realizan fuera de la jornada laboral o durante fines de semana.
Ana señaló que la asistencia a esas actividades forma parte de la evaluación laboral. Según su testimonio, las direcciones escolares solicitan fotografías como prueba de participación.
Organizaciones y especialistas advierten sobre el impacto laboral
El Colectivo de Derechos Humanos Nicaragua Nunca Más informó que ha recibido denuncias de ex trabajadores estatales relacionadas con descuentos salariales. Arlen Pérez, defensora de la organización, afirmó que algunas personas temen reclamar por posibles consecuencias laborales.
Pérez sostuvo que las denuncias también incluyen presiones políticas dentro de las escuelas. Según su declaración, algunos docentes informaron que deben transmitir contenidos favorables al Gobierno para evitar dificultades en sus puestos.
La investigadora estadounidense Pauline Martin, exdirectora de la maestría en Política y Evaluación Educativa de la Universidad Centroamericana, calificó como inusual el escenario descrito por las fuentes consultadas.
Martin consideró que las deducciones y el control sobre las tareas docentes pueden afectar la motivación profesional. También señaló que los sistemas educativos centralizados dejan poco margen para la autonomía y la innovación en las aulas.
Los testimonios reunidos por la investigación coinciden en que la combinación de descuentos, gastos laborales y actividades adicionales reduce el ingreso disponible de las docentes. Para las trabajadoras consultadas, el efecto se refleja en la alimentación, el transporte y la compra de materiales necesarios para enseñar.
Nicaragua,educación,aula,escuela,secundaria,pupitres
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