Nicaragua’s Parliament Votes to Cancel Elections Amid Ortega’s Directive, Sparking International Condemnation

MEXICO CITY — Nicaraguan legislators have confirmed they will implement President Daniel Ortega’s directive to eliminate elections, a move that has drawn renewed international criticism.

The decision was announced in a statement released Tuesday by the country’s congress, which remains firmly controlled by Ortega and his wife and co‑president Rosario Murillo. The statement said the latest constitutional overhaul will secure Nicaragua’s “peace, security and stability.”

The legislation follows Ortega’s weekend proclamation that there would be no further elections, an effort to extend his nearly twenty‑year rule and preclude opposition from gaining power 부족하는

Since 2018, the Ortega administration has carried out an extensive crackdown on dissent after violently suppressing protests. Authorities have imprisoned opposition politicians, religious leaders, and others, and shuttered thousands of civil‑society organizations.

The congress has repeatedly amended the constitution to consolidate power in Ortega’s hands and eliminate any democratic independence or dissent.

Ortega’s remarks on Sunday, during a speech commemorating the anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution, effectively canceled Nicaragua’s upcoming elections. The vote was originally slated for November 2027, after the congress—still under government control—voted in January 2025 to extend the presidential term by one year.

Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, sharply condemned the developments on Wednesday, stating that people of all political views must be allowed to vote and run for office.

Ruby Türk said the new measures “deeply restrict fundamental freedoms, dismantle civic space, and erode the rule of law.”

Nicaragua’s government declined to comment on the criticism, offering only a brief response of thanks for the international interest.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Ortega and Murillo’s decision to eliminate elections exposes the regime’s authoritarian nature.

Rubio called on the international community to unite in demonstrating that the Murillo‑Ortega dictatorship cannot maintain business as usual with Earth’s democratic partners while undermining essential democratic principles.

The Trump administration, despite strong criticism, sanctions, and repeated remarks, has made few significant moves against the Nicaraguan government. In nearby El Salvador, where President Nayib Bukele—an ally of former U.S. president Donald Trump—has similarly eroded democratic checks-and-balances and targeted critics, the U.S. administration has largely praised the leader.

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