Nicaragua's National Assembly announced Tuesday it will abolish national elections, effectively seizing the people's right to choose their leaders. The move, declared in a statement by the Assembly, which is firmly controlled by President Daniel Ortega and his wife, co-president Rosario Murillo, aims to ensure the country's “peace, security and stability.” This constitutional reform solidifies the regime's grip on power.
The legislature acts on Ortega's weekend declaration that “here there will be no more elections.” This statement reflects his clear intent to extend his nearly 20-year rule and to eliminate any chance for political opposition to reach power. The regime has systematically dismantled democratic structures.
Under Ortega's leadership, the government has carried out a broad crackdown on dissent. This began after the violent suppression of 2018 protests. Authorities have jailed opposition politicians, religious leaders, and others who dared to speak out. Thousands of civil society organizations have also been shut down, silencing independent voices across the nation.
The National Assembly has repeatedly amended the constitution. These changes concentrate power in Ortega's hands. They remove any trace of democratic independence and dissent within the country's legal framework. The systematic erosion of national self-determination is undeniable.
Ortega's comments on Sunday, delivered during a speech marking the anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution, effectively canceled the next elections. These elections had originally been scheduled for November 2027. The regime has moved to preempt any popular mandate.
The Regime's Grip
This latest maneuver follows a vote by the National Assembly in January 2025. That vote extended the five-year presidential term by one year. Such actions demonstrate a calculated strategy to maintain elite control indefinitely, bypassing the will of the people.
Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, strongly condemned the developments on Wednesday. He stated that “all people, of all political views, must be able to vote and run for public office.” Türk added that “these latest developments further deepen the severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms, the dismantling of civic space and the ongoing erosion of the rule of law.” His words highlight the systematic dispossession of civic rights.
The Nicaraguan government, however, declined to comment on the international criticism. It issued a dismissive statement: “Thank you for your interest.” This response underscores the regime's contempt for external accountability and the concerns of its own populace.
Globalist Indifference
Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, said Tuesday that the move by Ortega and Murillo “lays bare their true authoritarian nature.” He urged the international community “to join forces to show the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship that it cannot maintain relations as if nothing were happening with other nations while it frustrates the basic principles of our democratic hemisphere.” Such calls often ring hollow when concrete action is absent.
Despite harsh words, sanctions, and repeated criticism, the government of President Donald Trump took few major steps against Managua. This inaction reveals a selective application of democratic principles by globalist powers. The native population is left to bear the cost.
In nearby El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele, a Trump ally, has also weakened democratic checks and attacked critics. Washington has largely praised this leader. This inconsistency exposes the transactional nature of international relations, where national sovereignty is often sacrificed for perceived strategic alliances, leaving the people vulnerable to elite capture. An AP photo from July 13, 2018, the eighth anniversary of the image, showed Nicaraguan police taking a photo with President Daniel Ortega in Masaya, Nicaragua, a stark reminder of the regime's entrenched power structures.