©picture alliance / Anadolu | Pedro Rances Mattey
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega says there will be no more elections in his country. The announcement is intended to prevent the opposition from using next year’s presidential election as an opportunity to try to seize power, now that Ortega’s term is coming to an end.
Ortega Sidelines the Opposition
During a speech marking the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution, the 80-year-old president left no doubt about his intentions. “There will be no more elections here in which they can try to seize power,” he said, referring to the opposition. Ortega portrayed that opposition as an extension of the United States and former Somoza supporters. “The time is over when parties supported by the Yankees and the Somozists can enter the government. Never again,” he declared.
Power continues to consolidate
Ortega has been in power continuously since 2007, having previously served as president in the second half of the 1980s. His Sandinista movement ended the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza in 1979 following a civil war. In recent years, his grip on power has tightened further. In 2014, the Sandinista majority abolished the term limit for the presidency through a constitutional amendment, and in early 2025, the legislature extended the presidential term from five to six years. As a result, the next elections would normally take place in 2027.
No democratic way out
Ahead of the 2021 elections, Ortega had already had all opposing candidates arrested, a move that drew heavy international criticism at the time. His latest statement continues this trend and further reduces the likelihood of a democratic transfer of power. According to Ortega, a new law is intended to permanently block the path to power for the U.S.-backed “perpetrators of a coup.” With this move, Nicaragua appears to be slipping yet another step further away from free elections and political competition.
©picture alliance / Anadolu | Pedro Rances Mattey