Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega declared Sunday that the Central American nation will no longer hold elections, effectively shutting down any remaining avenue for the political opposition to challenge the government he leads alongside his wife, Rosario Murillo. Speaking at a ceremony commemorating the 1979 Sandinista revolution, Ortega stated, «There won't be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power.» The announcement marks a significant escalation in the regime's consolidation of authority, eliminating the possibility of future electoral challenges.
Ortega, who has been in power since 2007 after previously governing during the 1980s, is currently serving a presidential term that runs through 2027. In his speech, he framed the decision as a permanent break with the past, declaring, «The days when parties backed by the Yankees (United States) and the Somocistas would return to power are over — never again.» The reference to «Somocistas» alludes to the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza, which Ortega helped overthrow in the 1979 revolution.
The Trump administration has consistently described the Ortega-Murillo government as a dictatorship and has imposed sanctions on senior officials and their allies. The U.S. State Department has also enacted visa restrictions targeting more than 2,350 Nicaraguan officials and their family members. In June, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, «The United States stands with the Nicaraguan people who, like Rivera, aspire to see a free Nicaragua.» Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for further comment on Ortega's latest declaration.
Ortega and Murillo have steadily tightened their grip on Nicaragua's political institutions over the past decade. The 2021 presidential election was widely disputed, with authorities arresting presidential candidates, opposition figures, business leaders, and journalists ahead of the vote. The Biden administration previously said Ortega illegitimately awarded himself another term following that election. In 2025, sweeping constitutional reforms took effect, extending the presidential term from five to six years and elevating Murillo from vice president to «co-president.» According to United Nations experts, the changes placed Nicaragua's legislative, judicial, and electoral institutions under the direct authority of the presidency.
Ortega and Murillo now exercise control over nearly every branch of government, including the armed forces, police, and judiciary. Salvador Marenco, coordinator of the Costa Rica-based Nicaragua Nunca Más Human Rights Collective, told Reuters that Ortega had already effectively eliminated meaningful electoral competition during elections in 2011, 2016, and 2021. Many prominent opposition leaders have been imprisoned, forced into exile, or stripped of their Nicaraguan citizenship, while opposition parties and independent civic organizations have lost their legal status.
A United Nations group of experts has accused the Ortega-Murillo government of systematically violating human rights as part of a campaign to eliminate criticism and preserve its hold on power. The experts warned that some alleged violations may amount to crimes against humanity. The government launched a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018, during which more than 300 people were killed, according to international human rights groups. Ortega's latest declaration signals that the regime has no intention of allowing any democratic transition, further entrenching authoritarian rule in Nicaragua.