Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega Moves to Extend Presidential Term by 1 More Year
- Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has proposed adding another year to the presidential term as part of a broader constitutional reform
- The reform also includes a plan to ban opposition figures labelled 'traitors' or 'coup plotters' from contesting elections
- Nicaragua's government-controlled National Assembly is expected to vote on the proposed changes in September 2026
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Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega, who has ruled the country since 2007, has proposed extending the presidential term by one additional year, in the latest move to tighten his grip on power.
The proposal forms part of a wider package of constitutional reforms that his government is pushing through the National Assembly, the legislative body widely regarded as under his control. A vote on the reforms is expected in September 2026.
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Alongside the term extension, the proposed changes would prohibit opposition figures whom the government classifies as "traitors" or "coup plotters" from standing for office, effectively shutting out any credible political challengers.
How Nicaragua's Presidential Term Has Evolved
The 80-year-old leader has already rewritten the rules of the presidency multiple times. In 2014, the National Assembly removed presidential term limits altogether. A decade later, in 2024, it extended the term from five to six years. The same legislative body also approved Ortega's plan to designate his wife, Rosario Murillo, as "co-president," clearing the path for her to take over as president if Ortega, believed to be in poor health, is declared "permanently absent."
The last presidential election in Nicaragua took place in November 2021. Ortega won that contest after the government detained or forced into exile virtually every credible opposition candidate before polling day. Only a small number of little-known candidates, with no realistic chance of broad support, were permitted to participate.
Deepening Crackdown on Dissent
United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk has warned that government repression has worsened since the 2021 election, with the rule of law continuing to erode and the persecution of political opponents intensifying.
Public dissent within Nicaragua has been rare since 2018, when security forces killed more than 300 people during a crackdown on anti-government protests. Since then, political opponents have been jailed, stripped of their citizenship, and exiled. Those forced to flee the country have not been spared either, with the Ortega government seizing and selling the properties they left behind.
Source: Legit.ng
