Story perspectives

Ortega Declares End of Nicaraguan Elections, Moves Toward Single-Party Rule

7/22/2026

Summary

Story summary

In July 2026, President Daniel Ortega announced that Nicaragua will no longer hold elections.
He said the National Assembly will draft laws to block opposition parties.
The decree follows 2025 constitutional changes that extended Ortega’s term to six years.
Those changes also appointed his wife Rosario Murillo as co-president.
Exiled leaders Félix Maradiaga and Juan Sebastián Chamorro called the decree a confession of dictatorship and a shift to single-party rule.

History

Historical Context

On 23 March 1933, after the Reichstag Fire Decree, the German Reichstag voted 444-94 to pass the Enabling Act, giving Adolf Hitler and President Paul von Hindenburg legislative powers and ending free elections. In July 2026, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, with co-president Rosario Murillo and the National Assembly, issued a decree to block opposition parties and suspend voting, echoing the 1930s use of legal tools to create one-party rule.

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Story summary

In July 2026, President Daniel Ortega announced that Nicaragua will no longer hold elections.
He said the National Assembly will draft laws to block opposition parties.
The decree follows 2025 constitutional changes that extended Ortega’s term to six years.
Those changes also appointed his wife Rosario Murillo as co-president.
Exiled leaders Félix Maradiaga and Juan Sebastián Chamorro called the decree a confession of dictatorship and a shift to single-party rule.

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