Ortega moves to end Nicaragua elections, locking in one-family rule
Why it matters: The move would shut off any legal route for the opposition ahead of Ortega's term ending in 2027.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said the country will no longer hold elections, a step that would block any electoral challenge as his current term runs through 2027 and deepen the control he shares with his wife, Rosario Murillo. Ortega made the remarks Sunday during an event marking the 1979 Sandinista revolution. Nicaragua's 2021 election was widely disputed after authorities detained opposition figures, business leaders and journalists, while the government criminalized dissent. Constitutional changes that took effect this year extended the presidential term to six years and elevated Murillo from vice president to co-president, further tightening the couple's grip over state institutions.