Overview
- President Daniel Ortega told supporters on Sunday that Nicaragua will “never again” hold elections and said he would work with the National Assembly to write laws that block what he called coup-plotters from returning to power.
- The announcement effectively cancels the next scheduled national vote, which had been set for November 2027 after a 2025 congressional reform extended the presidential term and created Rosario Murillo as co‑president.
- Rights groups report continued repression on the ground, including at least 46 people held as political prisoners, mass closures of organizations, revocation of lawyers’ licenses, and the exile or stripping of citizenship from opponents.
- The move drew sharp international condemnation from the U.S., the U.N. human rights office and regional bodies, which called the step an abandonment of democracy and warned it could widen instability and prompt further sanctions.
- Analysts say the declaration formalizes a long march to one‑party rule, raises questions about succession given Ortega’s age and health, and leaves uncertainty over what legal steps the legislature will use to eliminate electoral competition.