Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega declares elections will end, sparking international criticism

During the ceremony marking the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution, Nicaragua’s 80‑year‑old President Daniel Ortega announced that the country will no longer hold elections. He said, “Here there will be no more elections so that they cannot try to seize the government and power,” signalling a move to eliminate any electoral competition and consolidate a family‑centered regime that has ruled since 2007.

The declaration follows constitutional reforms approved in 2025 that extended Ortega’s term and appointed his wife, Vice‑President Rosario Murillo, as co‑president. The National Assembly has begun drafting new laws to formalise the change, describing it as a safeguard against foreign interference.

The announcement provoked swift condemnation from the United States, whose Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Ortega‑Murillo government “authoritarian” and urged the international community to act. Panama, Guatemala and other regional actors also rejected the move, labeling it a violation of democratic principles and human‑rights treaties. Opposition figures and human‑rights groups warned that Nicaragua is turning into a dynastic dictatorship comparable to North Korea.

The development marks a deepening democratic backslide in Central America and is likely to generate continued diplomatic pressure and sanctions.