Nicaragua Will No Longer Hold Elections, President Says

Daniel Ortega’s announcement that Nicaragua will no longer hold elections has sent shockwaves through the region, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Central American nation has been sliding steadily towards authoritarianism under Ortega’s long tenure, with each incremental step eroding what little democratic space remains.

The president’s claim that US-backed parties will “never again” take power is a thinly veiled attack on the opposition. In reality, it’s an attempt to consolidate his own family’s grip on power. His wife, Rosario Murillo, has served as Vice President since 2017, making them one of the most powerful couples in Central America.

Without elections, there will be no mechanism for holding the ruling pair accountable for their actions. The current opposition is already fractured and weakened by years of repression, leaving them little hope of mounting a credible challenge to Ortega’s rule. The Trump administration’s characterization of Nicaragua as a dictatorship may have been dismissed as partisan rhetoric at the time, but it now appears tragically prescient.

The Sandinista revolution that brought Ortega to power in 1979 was meant to be a beacon of hope for Latin America’s left-wing movement. Instead, it has become a cautionary tale about the dangers of personality cults and the erosion of democratic norms. The parallels with other Central American countries are unsettling: Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador have all seen their democracies gradually dismantled by corrupt and authoritarian leaders.

Ortega’s decision to abandon elections marks a significant escalation in his campaign against dissent. His regime has already cracked down on opposition activists, independent media outlets, and even the Catholic Church, which has long been a vocal critic of his government. The 2021 election was widely disputed, with Ortega’s allies rigging the outcome and opponents facing arrest and intimidation.

The international community is faced with a choice: stand idly by while Nicaragua descends further into dictatorship or take concrete action to support the opposition and promote democratic norms in the region. The European Union has already imposed sanctions on several Nicaraguan officials, but more needs to be done. The United States should follow suit, working with its regional partners to build a coalition that can exert pressure on Ortega’s regime.

The outlook for Nicaragua is bleak. Without elections, the country will continue down a path of increasing repression and polarization. The rule of law will erode further, as Ortega and his allies use state power to silence critics and consolidate their grip on power. The human cost will be devastating: with no outlets for dissent, the regime’s control over the narrative will become total, silencing any voices that dare speak out against its abuses.

The world should take a hard look at Nicaragua’s slide into dictatorship and consider what this means for regional stability and global democracy. As Ortega’s rule becomes increasingly entrenched, the question on everyone’s mind is: what will happen next?