Nicaragua to bar critics deemed 'traitors to the homeland' from elections

Nicaragua's National Assembly is moving to reform the constitution, a move that would extend presidential terms and effectively bar opposition figures from political participation. The proposed changes, championed by the ruling Sandinista party, target individuals labeled as "coup plotters" or "traitors to the homeland."

Gustavo Porras, the head of the National Assembly, stated that those who "attack independence and sovereignty" or "violate the Constitution" should not have political rights. This initiative comes as part of a broader push to reshape Nicaragua's electoral landscape, following President Daniel Ortega's earlier suggestion to abolish elections altogether. The reforms also seek to extend the presidential term from six to seven years, with the possibility of renewal.

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The period of time, the walls and containment blocks for all those coup plotters, we must say it: the coup plotters, the traitors to the homeland, those who attack the independence and sovereignty and self-determination of Nicaragua, those who violate the Constitution, none of them can have political rights.

The proposed constitutional amendment is slated for a first legislative approval in September. This development has already drawn significant international scrutiny. Nations including Costa Rica, the United States, Panama, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru, along with the European Union, the OAS Secretary General, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, have voiced their concerns or outright rejection of the government's actions.

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That we made clear.