Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega announced that the country will cease holding elections, eliminating any potential avenue for the opposition to challenge his leadership. Ortega, who has been in power since 2007 and previously governed in the 1980s, stated, "There won't be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power." His current presidential term is scheduled to conclude in 2027.
Ortega made these remarks on Sunday during a speech commemorating the 1979 Sandinista revolution. He declared, "The days when parties backed by the Yankees (United States) and the Somocistas would return to power are over — never again." This declaration solidifies the consolidation of control over the nation's political institutions by Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo.
The U.S. State Department has labeled the Ortega-Murillo government as a dictatorship and has implemented sanctions and visa restrictions against government officials and their families. In June, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, "The United States stands with the Nicaraguan people who, like Rivera, aspire to see a free Nicaragua."
The Biden administration has previously stated that Ortega illegitimately secured another term following the country's disputed 2021 presidential election. Leading up to that vote, authorities arrested presidential candidates, opposition figures, business leaders, and journalists as the government intensified its crackdown on dissent.
Consolidation of Power
Sweeping constitutional changes that took effect in 2025 further expanded Ortega and Murillo's authority. These reforms extended the presidential term from five to six years and elevated Murillo to the position of "co-president." According to United Nations experts, these changes also placed Nicaragua's legislative, judicial, and electoral institutions under the direct authority of the presidency. Consequently, Ortega and Murillo now exert control over nearly all branches of government, including the armed forces, police, and judiciary.
Prior elections in 2011, 2016, and 2021 were already marked by a lack of meaningful electoral competition, according to Salvador Marenco, coordinator of the Costa Rica-based Nicaragua Nunca Más Human Rights Collective. Many prominent opposition leaders have been imprisoned, forced into exile, or stripped of their citizenship, while opposition parties and independent civic organizations have lost their legal status.
A United Nations group of experts has accused the Ortega-Murillo government of systematically violating human rights in a campaign to suppress criticism and maintain power, with some alleged violations potentially constituting crimes against humanity. The government's violent crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018 resulted in over 300 deaths, according to international human rights groups. (SOURCE1)