Nicaragua's National Assembly announced Tuesday it will advance President Daniel Ortega's plan to abolish elections entirely, cementing what international observers are calling the complete dismantling of democratic participation in the Central American nation. The legislature, controlled entirely by Ortega and his wife and co-president Rosario Murillo, framed the constitutional reform as necessary for the country's "peace, security and stability."
The announcement follows Ortega's weekend declaration that "here there will be no more elections," a statement that effectively cancels the vote originally scheduled for November 2027. That election had already been pushed back by a year after the National Assembly voted in January 2025 to extend the five-year presidential term. The move marks the latest step in Ortega's nearly 20-year grip on power and eliminates any remaining path for opposition voices to reach office through democratic means.
A Systematic Crackdown on Dissent
Ortega's government has waged a broad campaign against dissent following the violent suppression of 2018 protests. Authorities have jailed opposition politicians, religious leaders, and other critics. They've also shut down thousands of civil society organizations, gutting the infrastructure that might organize resistance or provide alternative voices. The National Assembly has repeatedly amended the constitution to concentrate power in Ortega's hands, stripping away democratic independence and silencing institutional checks on executive authority.
Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, strongly condemned the developments Wednesday. "All people, of all political views, must be able to vote and run for public office," he said. He 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." The Nicaraguan government declined to engage with the criticism, responding only: "Thank you for your interest."
International Response Falls Short
Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, said Tuesday that the move by Ortega and Murillo "lays bare their true authoritarian nature." In a statement, 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."
Yet the government of President Donald Trump, despite harsh words, sanctions and repeated criticism, has taken few major steps against Managua. The contrast is stark when compared to Washington's approach in nearby El Salvador, where President Nayib Bukele, a Trump ally, has also weakened democratic checks and attacked critics but has largely received praise from the administration.
Ortega made his announcement Sunday during a speech marking the anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution. The timing underscored how far the Sandinista movement has drifted from its revolutionary origins, now serving as the vehicle for entrenching a family dynasty that tolerates no opposition.
Why This Matters:
The abolition of elections in Nicaragua represents the final collapse of democratic accountability in a country where citizens have already lost the right to organize, protest, or speak freely. Thousands of Nicaraguans have been forced into exile, jailed for their political views, or silenced through the closure of independent organizations. Without elections, there's no peaceful mechanism for change, no institutional check on executive power, and no way for ordinary Nicaraguans to hold their government accountable. The international community's muted response—particularly from the United States, which applies different standards to different authoritarian leaders based on political convenience—signals that democratic principles can be negotiable. For Nicaraguans who've already endured years of repression, the message is clear: they're on their own.