Nicaragua’s president says country will not hold any more elections

Key Points:

• Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega announced there will be no further elections to prevent opposition parties from coming to power, marking a significant escalation in his authoritarian rule since 2007.
• Ortega stated he will work with the congress he controls to pass laws that create a "wall" against opposition forces, effectively eliminating electoral competition following the outlawing of opposition parties and imprisonment of their leaders.
• The announcement came during the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution and was made in front of state employees reportedly coerced into attendance, highlighting the regime’s tightening grip on power.
• Ortega’s administration, along with that of his wife and co-president Rosario Murillo, has been accused by international organizations of severe human rights abuses including violent crackdowns on protests, political imprisonments, and suppression of civil society.
• The regime has faced widespread condemnation for its authoritarian measures, including constitutional changes extending presidential terms, stripping citizenship from hundreds, closing universities and media outlets, and holding numerous political prisoners.