Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The Government of Nicaragua, led by President Daniel Ortega, has announced it will not conduct the elections planned for next year. This follows ongoing concerns raised by the UN about the country’s political climate and restrictions on freedoms. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned these developments, stating they further damage Nicaragua’s democratic process and civic space.
According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Nicaragua currently detains 46 individuals arbitrarily for political reasons. Lawyers have also had credentials revoked without explanation, contributing to severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms and the erosion of rule of law.
Under Ortega’s leadership, which resumed in 2007 and now involves a shared presidency with his wife Rosario Murillo since 2025, political power is tightly controlled by the Sandinista National Liberation Front, which dominates parliament, municipal governments, and regional councils. Reported measures include extending the presidential term, weakening checks and balances, and constitutional changes removing prohibitions on torture.
Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed concern over the continuing decline in political and civic freedoms in Nicaragua. The UN human rights chief urged the government to treat prisoners humanely, reopen civic space, end political repression, and comply with international human rights obligations by permitting political participation and releasing detainees.
Additional reports detail the dismantling of civil society, restrictive electoral eligibility rules, widespread gender-based violence, and serious abuses against detainees, citing a 2025 OHCHR report and a reference to the 2018 crackdown on mass protests that resulted in over 300 deaths.