Nicaragua’s President, Daniel Ortega, in his desperate bid to cling to power, has declared that the country will not hold any new elections.
The 80-year-old authoritarian leader said his administration, which includes his wife and co-president, Rosario Murillo, is working with the parliament to create a law that would “build a wall” against elections.
The Guardian reports that Mr Ortega made this declaration on Sunday at the official ceremony of the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Sandinista revolution, in which he helped overthrow the brutal dictatorship of US-backed Anastasio Somoza.
The president has ruled the country since 2007 and has, on multiple occasions, manipulated the law to extend his stay in power. Last year, he extended presidential terms to six years and promoted his wife from vice-president to co-president through a series of constitutional reforms.
During the last election, held in 2021, state security was used to repress dissenting voices. Political opponents, activists, journalists and business leaders were detained. Human rights groups have also stated that opposition parties were effectively quashed in the 2011 and 2016 elections.
