Nicaragua's Ortega announces end to elections

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega declared that elections will no longer be held in the country, marking a significant escalation of his authoritarian grip on power. Ortega, who governs alongside his wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo, accused his political adversaries of attempting to use elections to gain control.

Speaking during the 47th anniversary celebration of the Sandinista revolution, which brought his leftist movement to power in 1979, Ortega stated, "There will be no more elections here." He asserted that he would work with Congress to enact laws that would "build a wall" against the opposition, effectively barring them from future political participation.

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There will be no more elections here.

Ortega's political career has seen a shift from leading a revolution to increasingly autocratic rule. After governing from 1979 to 1990, he lost free elections but returned to power democratically in 2006. Since then, his governance has become progressively more dictatorial. This latest announcement signifies a move away from even the facade of democratic processes, as he seeks to prevent any potential challenges to his long-standing rule.

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build a wall