In an unprecedented move that definitively bury the democratic process in Nicaragua, long-time leader Daniel Ortega officially announced that the country will no longer hold elections.
The statement was made during celebrations of the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution and marks a radical turn towards the establishment of an official one-party regime.
The 80-year-old Marxist, who ruled Nicaragua for a total of nearly three decades (in the 1980s and continuously since 2007), told his supporters that “the era in which parties supported by the Yankees and Somozas returned to power is over – never again“. Ortega justified his decision by the need to protect the country from the opposition, which he believes is completely controlled by the United States. According to Reuters, the leader is already planning legal reforms with the parliament he controls to build a "block against coup plotters."
Historical context: From revolution to dynastic dictatorship
Daniel Ortega's current decision is deeply rooted in Nicaragua's turbulent modern history. In 1979, he established himself as a key leader of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), which successfully overthrew the brutal US-backed dictatorship of the Somoza family. After ruling in the 1980s in the midst of a civil war against Washington-funded “Contra” rebels, Ortega lost the 1990 elections but returned to power through a popular vote in 2007.
Over the past two decades, however, the former revolutionary guerrilla has systematically transformed the state, concentrating all power in the hands of his family. Ironically, his critics today accuse him of building a repressive dynastic regime that is strikingly reminiscent of the same Somoza dictatorship that he himself fought against in his youth.
International sanctions and isolation of the regime
The rejection of electoral democracy is the culmination of a long process of international isolation and economic pressure. Following the bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018, which left more than 350 people dead, the United States, the European Union and the Organization of American States (OAS) imposed heavy personal and sectoral sanctions. The punitive measures affected thousands of high-ranking officials, judges and military personnel, including co-chairwoman Rosario Murillo herself.
According to The Guardian (theguardian.com), the government has stripped hundreds of political dissidents of their citizenship, closed over 5,600 NGOs and shut down dozens of independent media outlets. According to experts cited by The New York Times (nytimes.com), the final step to completely cancel the election reflects growing paranoia and a sense of insecurity in Managua, especially after increased American pressure on Nicaragua's regional allies - Cuba and Venezuela.