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Nicaragua President Ortega declares end of elections, drawing UN and US condemnation
President Daniel Ortega announced that Nicaragua will no longer hold elections, stating “here there will be no elections for them to try to seize the government, to seize power.” The declaration was made during the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution and follows constitutional reforms that extended the presidential term to six years and created a “co‑presidency” with Vice‑President Rosario Murillo.
The National Assembly, led by Gustavo Porras, said elections will still be held but under a new constitutional framework that would bar “traitors” and foreign‑funded parties, effectively limiting opposition participation.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the move, saying the “latest developments further deepen the severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms, the dismantling of civic space, and the steady erosion of the rule of law.” He urged that “all people of any political tendency must be able to vote and run for public office.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the decision “the true authoritarian nature” of Ortega’s regime and urged the international community to unite against the dictatorship. Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala and other neighboring states also expressed strong rejection.
Human‑rights groups note at least 46 political detainees and the unexplained disappearance of Bishop Abelardo Mata, highlighting a broader crackdown on civil liberties.