The Justo Rufino Garay Theater had existed for over 40 years

Facade of the Justo Rufino Garay Theater painted pink in August 2026, following its confiscation. Photo: El 19 Digital

The building was painted “bright pink,” Rosario Murillo’s favorite color, and will be reopened on Sunday, August 23.

By Confidencial

HAVANA TIMES – The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo confirmed its de facto takeover of the Justo Rufino Garay Theater in Managua, which abruptly closed on March 13, 2026. The building was painted “bright pink,” the “co-dictator’s” favorite color, and will be inaugurated on Sunday, August 23, 2026, according to an announcement in the regime’s propaganda media.

The theater was founded in November 1979 by Mexican playwrights Lucero Millan and Enrique Polo, who arrived in Managua inspired by the triumph of the Sandinista Popular Revolution. In 1990, it was legally incorporated as the “Justo Rufino Garay” Theater Association. On August 11, 2022, the National Assembly revoked the theater’s legal status at the request of the Ministry of the Interior, then known as the Ministry of Governance.

The cancellation of its legal status did not provide for the automatic transfer of its assets to the State.

Despite the cancellation of its legal status, the theater and the school operating in the same building continued their activities until March 2026, when they announced on social media that “due to circumstances beyond our control, all activities are suspended until further notice.”

Dictators’ Former Daughter-in-Law Leads Confiscation

On August 20, 2026, the dictatorship organized a tour of the theater facilities with its propaganda media. The theater, located next to Las Palmas Park, was visited by Idania Castillo, co-director of the National Cinematheque and former daughter-in-law of the dictators, as well as Brenda Flores, national coordinator of the Leonel Rugama Cultural Movement.

“We are joining forces among university theater companies, professional groups, and emerging artists to bring this place to life,” Castillo said, without mentioning that it is a confiscated cultural venue that operated independently for more than 40 years.

Flores said it was “a new space that will strengthen the skills, creativity, and talent of our emerging artists, high school students, and students at technical schools.”

The political operative called it a “victory for art and culture,” a phrase other regime officials have used when celebrating the installation of schools, clinics, and other projects on confiscated properties. Most of these properties were already home to organizations serving vulnerable populations, including the Samuel Foundation, the Central American University, La Corriente, and other institutions.

The Justo Rufino Garay Theater offered children’s workshops and acting scholarships and had a fully equipped auditorium with 126 seats. These same facilities were simply repainted by the dictatorship and are now being presented as a state investment.

To reopen the cultural venue, a gathering of “theater masters, teachers, pioneers, and Managua families” will be held on Sunday, August 23, at 3 p.m.

Read more from Nicaragua here on Havana Times.