Nicaragua VP Murillo launches verbal attack on opposition after OAS meeting call

Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo unleashed a torrent of insults against exiled opposition figures, labeling them "delinquents, simpletons, scoundrels, ridiculous, crumbs," among other epithets. Her tirade came after the Organization of American States (OAS) urgently called for a meeting of foreign ministers to address Nicaragua's political crisis, prompted by President Daniel Ortega's threat to cancel upcoming elections.

Murillo, who is also Ortega's wife, questioned the identity of the "delinquents and traffickers of honor" and invoked the historical figure of William Walker, an American filibuster who briefly declared himself president of Nicaragua in 1856. Her fiery rhetoric was broadcast through official state media.

Adding to the political tension, Murillo announced that the National Assembly, which is closely aligned with the presidency, would convene to present progress on constitutional reforms. These proposed changes include extending the presidential term from six to seven years and making it renewable. Furthermore, the reforms seek to constitutionally bar individuals deemed "coup plotters" or "traitors to the homeland" by the regime, ostensibly to "prevent external interference and stop coup attempts."

Murillo continued her verbal assault, dismissing the opposition as "ridiculous outlaws" and "crumbs of liars, mercenaries, traitors, and cowards" who engage in "theatricality" on social media. She characterized their actions as those of "hungry packs" fighting for scraps, drawing a parallel to Gabriel García Márquez's novel "No One Writes to the Colonel."

Nicaragua has been governed by Ortega, an 80-year-old former Sandinista guerrilla, since 2007. Since 2017, Murillo has served as vice president, and with the proposed reforms, the pair would solidify their roles as "co-presidents." The United States has previously accused Murillo of creating the "co-president" title without an election, mandate, or legitimacy. General elections were scheduled for November 2026, but these constitutional amendments cast doubt on their fairness and integrity.