Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has proposed extending the presidential term by an additional year as part of a broader constitutional reform package. The proposed changes, which also aim to prevent opposition figures deemed "traitors" or "coup plotters" from holding office, are expected to be approved by the government-controlled National Assembly in September. Ortega, 80, has been in power since 2007, and his tenure has seen increasing authoritarian measures, including the imprisonment and exile of political opponents.
This is not the first time the constitution has been amended to facilitate Ortega's extended rule. In 2014, presidential term limits were removed, and in 2024, the term was extended from five to six years. The legislative body also previously approved Ortega's plan to appoint his wife, Rosario Murillo, as "co-president." This move positioned her to potentially assume the presidency if Ortega, whose health is reportedly frail, were declared "permanently absent." The current proposal to extend the term by another year further consolidates the administration's control.
Past reforms have allowed for significant shifts in the country's political structure under Ortega's leadership. The 2014 constitutional amendments effectively eliminated term limits, allowing presidents to seek re-election indefinitely. The subsequent extension of the presidential term to six years in 2024, and the establishment of the co-presidency with Murillo, have reshaped the succession and executive power dynamics within Nicaragua. The latest proposal to add another year to the presidential term is part of a pattern of constitutional adjustments aimed at maintaining the current government's hold on power.
The proposed reforms also include measures to disqualify opposition candidates. Those deemed by the government to be "traitors" or "coup plotters" would be barred from running for office. This provision is seen as a further tightening of political control by Ortega's government, which has faced international criticism for its human rights record and suppression of dissent. The administration has systematically targeted political opponents through legal means, imprisonment, and exile, and has stripped some of their citizenship. The proposed constitutional changes are expected to face scrutiny both domestically and internationally.