Daniel Ortega declares that Nicaragua will no longer hold elections to prevent opposition parties from seizing power.
Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega announced that the country will no longer hold elections, effectively eliminating the possibility of a future electoral challenge to his government. Speaking during the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution, Daniel Ortega stated that the move is designed to prevent opposition parties from seizing power and to protect the nation from "coup plotters." The administration has characterized the government led by Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, as a dictatorship. To consolidate control, the pair recently implemented constitutional reforms that extended the presidential term and elevated Murillo to "co-president." These changes placed the legislative, judicial, and electoral institutions under presidential authority. While the next election was scheduled for next year, the administration opted to remove electoral competition entirely rather than risk a rigged vote. This decision follows a period of intense criminalization of dissent, during which many opposition leaders were imprisoned or forced into exile. The move signals a transition toward a full-fledged family dictatorship as the regime seeks to maintain its grip on the nation.