Nicaragua's Ortega says elections will be abolished

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega declared an end to elections in the country, asserting that opposition parties would no longer be allowed to take power. Speaking at a ceremony marking the 1979 Sandinista Revolution, Ortega stated, "There will be no more attempts by the opposition to take over the government and seize power, and therefore, no more elections will be held." He reiterated that the era of parties supported by "Yankee and Somoza dictatorship forces" returning to power is over.

This declaration signals Ortega's intention to fully consolidate his rule with his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo. Ortega has been in power continuously since 2006, having previously led the country from 1979 to 1990 after overthrowing the Somoza dictatorship. He returned to power in 2006 and has since been re-elected four times.

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There will be no more attempts by the opposition to take over the government and seize power, and therefore, no more elections will be held.

Ortega's announcement follows a period of two months where he was not seen in public. While he did not provide specific details on which elections would be abolished or how the country would be governed moving forward, his remarks are seen as a move to cement his authoritarian control. In 2021, he held elections amid widespread criticism for detaining opposition figures and business leaders.

His administration has already taken steps to solidify power, including constitutional amendments that appointed his wife as "co-president" and extended presidential terms to six years. The U.S. administration under Donald Trump has labeled the Ortega regime, along with those in Cuba and Venezuela, as a "troika of tyranny," imposing significant sanctions.

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The era of parties supported by Yankee and Somoza dictatorship forces returning to power is over. That will never happen again.