Nicaragua crackdown intensifies as UN condemns Ortega’s anti‑democratic measures

The United Nations human rights chief condemned a new wave of repression in Nicaragua after President Daniel Ortega announced that the country will hold “no more elections,” proposing to abolish the National Assembly and replace it with 1,500 locally elected deputies meeting once a year. Volker Türk said the moves deepen severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms, erode the rule of law, and target the Catholic Church, noting the detention of 80‑year‑old Bishop Abelardo Mata Guevara.

A 2026 report documented the broader crackdown on independent media: the forced closure of historic outlets such as La Prensa and the exile of more than 250 journalists, with threats extending to reporters abroad. The United States, the Organisation of American States and the UN called for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained individuals and for respect of international human‑rights obligations.