Ortega insists no more elections for Nicaragua

During a speech commemorating Nicaragua's 1979 Sandinista revolution, President Daniel Ortega declared that elections would no longer take place in the Central American nation. He characterized the move as necessary to block opposition forces, which he claimed are backed by foreign interests. Ortega's government has been accused by international bodies of systematic repression, including arbitrary detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings. The 2021 presidential election was widely disputed after authorities cracked down on dissent and imprisoned rivals. In recent years, Ortega's administration extended the presidential term to six years and elevated his wife, Rosario Murillo, to the position of co-president. The UN's Human Rights Council has documented a pattern of rights abuses under the couple's rule. A 2018 crackdown on anti-government protests resulted in over 300 deaths and drew global condemnation. Since then, hundreds of Nicaraguans have been stripped of citizenship, while others have fled the country fearing imprisonment. Ortega previously served as president from 1985 to 1990, implementing leftist policies following the 1979 overthrow of the U.S.-backed Somoza dictatorship, though he has since detained many former revolutionary comrades.