Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega declared on Sunday that the nation will no longer hold elections. The 80-year-old leader, who has governed since 2007, intends to block the opposition from gaining authority. Speaking at the 47th anniversary celebration of the Sandinista revolution in Managua, he told supporters that opponents should abandon any hopes of using the ballot box to seize power.
While general elections were originally expected this November, constitutional changes extended presidential terms, pushing the next scheduled vote to 2027. Critics argue that Ortega maintains control through the suppression of dissent and authoritarian tactics. Since the 2018 crackdown on protests, which resulted in over 300 fatalities according to United Nations figures, Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, have consolidated absolute authority. The president maintains that opposition figures are acting on behalf of the United States, while exiled opposition groups continue to push for international intervention to restore democratic processes.
