Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega announced that the Central American nation will no longer hold elections, effectively eliminating any avenue for the opposition to challenge his government. Ortega, who has been in power since 2007 and also governed during the 1980s, stated during a speech commemorating the 1979 Sandinista revolution that "There won’t be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power." His current presidential term is set to run until 2027.
Ortega declared that "The days when parties backed by the Yankees (United States) and the Somocistas would return to power are over — never again." The U.S. State Department has previously described the Ortega-Murillo government as a dictatorship and has imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on Nicaraguan 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 asserted that Ortega illegitimately secured another term following the country's disputed 2021 presidential election. Ahead of that vote, authorities arrested opposition figures, presidential candidates, business leaders, and journalists as the government intensified its suppression of dissent.
Consolidation of Power
Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, have expanded their authority through constitutional changes that took effect in 2025. These reforms extended the presidential term from five to six years and elevated Murillo to a "co-president" role. 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.
Salvador Marenco, coordinator of the Nicaragua Nunca Más Human Rights Collective based in Costa Rica, noted that Ortega had already effectively ended meaningful electoral competition in the elections of 2011, 2016, and 2021. Many prominent opposition leaders have been imprisoned, forced into exile, or stripped of their Nicaraguan 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 systematic human rights violations, which they allege are part of a campaign to suppress criticism and maintain power. The experts indicated that some of these alleged violations may constitute crimes against humanity. In 2018, the government initiated a violent crackdown on anti-government protests, resulting in the deaths of over 300 people, according to international human rights groups.