Nicaragua's congress begins work to abolish elections after Ortega declares 'there won't be anymore'

The announcement

Daniel Ortega declared on Sunday, during the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution, that 'there won't be anymore elections' in Nicaragua. Speaking at the commemoration of the 1979 uprising that overthrew dictator Anastasio Somoza, Ortega said he would 'build a wall' against the opposition. 'The days when parties backed by the Yankees and the Somozistas would return to power are over. Never again,' he told the crowd.

Congress acts

On Tuesday, the Ortega-controlled National Assembly issued a statement saying it was 'beginning the necessary analysis to draw up a work plan to implement the president's directives.' Assembly president Gustavo Porras told pro-government media on Wednesday that the legislature would vote in early August on whether to exclude opposition parties from electoral participation. Porras said electoral authorities would define 'elements to not leave even a crack' in elections, aimed at preventing 'the terrible manipulation of empires and their lackeys.' The stated pretext was 'ensuring peace, security, stability and the continuity of achievements in the fight against poverty.'

International reaction

Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, sharply condemned the move on Wednesday.

These latest developments further deepen the severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms, the dismantling of civic space, and the steady erosion of the rule of law.

Türk called on Nicaraguan authorities to 'reopen civic space, and restore the rule of law. People of all political viewpoints must be allowed to vote and run for office.' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the move 'lays bare their true authoritarian nature' and called on the international community to 'join forces to demonstrate to the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship that it cannot expect to maintain business as usual with other nations.'

Opposition and context

Opposition leader Juan Sebastián Chamorro described Nicaragua as 'the North Korea of Latin America.' The announcement follows years of democratic erosion. After mass protests in 2018 demanding Ortega's removal, the government responded with violent repression. At least 325 people died in the demonstrations, according to international organizations cited by the BBC. Before his 2021 re-election to a fourth consecutive term, Ortega jailed all serious opponents. A January 2025 constitutional reform extended the presidential term by one year, pushing the next vote to November 2027, and elevated Murillo to co-president. Sunday's declaration now suggests even that election will not take place.

Ortega's trajectory

Ortega first led Nicaragua after the 1979 revolution and was elected president in 1984, serving until 1990 when he lost an election and peacefully transferred power. He returned to the presidency in 2007 and has held it continuously since, nearly 20 years. During his current tenure, he has purged former comrades, jailed opposition politicians and religious leaders, shut down thousands of civil society organizations, and forced nearly 1 million Nicaraguans into exile. The regime has also granted mining concessions to Chinese companies covering at least 10% of the country's territory, according to environmental organizations cited by El País.