Nicaragua Moves to Formally Abolish Elections Under Ortega-Murillo Dictatorship

Nicaragua is moving to formally eliminate democratic elections, codifying President Daniel Ortega’s declaration that his administration will never again allow the opposition a path to power. The country’s legislature, dominated by Ortega’s ruling party, announced a planned constitutional overhaul on Tuesday to legalize the abolition of the electoral process.

The legislative push directly follows a speech delivered by Ortega on Sunday during celebrations marking the 1979 Sandinista revolution—the uprising that overthrew the U.S.-backed Somoza dictatorship. In his address, Ortega stated that elections would no longer be held, claiming they were tools used by foreign-backed adversaries to seize control of the state.

The announcement effectively cancels the presidential election that had been scheduled for November 2027. Ortega, who is Nicaragua’s longest-serving leader, is currently set to remain in office until early 2028. Alongside his wife, Rosario Murillo, Ortega has systematically consolidated authority over the Central American nation. Sweeping constitutional reforms enacted in 2025 elevated Murillo from vice president to “co-president,” extended presidential terms from five to six years, and placed the judiciary, legislature, and electoral council under the direct control of the executive branch.

The move has drawn sharp condemnation from the international community. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the decision, stating that Ortega and Murillo “have abandoned even the pretense of popular consent” and urged global partners to isolate the regime. The U.S. government has previously implemented extensive economic sanctions and visa restrictions targeting more than 2,300 Nicaraguan officials and their families.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also denounced the legislative plans, warning that the move further dismantles civic space and erodes the rule of law. A UN expert group has previously accused the administration of systematic human rights abuses, including actions that may constitute crimes against humanity, stemming from a crackdown on dissent that began during mass anti-government protests in 2018. According to international human rights organizations, more than 300 people were killed by security forces during those demonstrations.

Over the past decade, the Nicaraguan government has steadily dismantled democratic institutions. Independent political parties have been stripped of their legal status, while prominent opposition figures, journalists, and activists have been imprisoned, forced into exile, or stripped of their citizenship. Critics argue that elections held in 2011, 2016, and 2021 had already been rendered meaningless due to the systematic exclusion of genuine competition.