Daniel Ortega, the 80-year-old socialist autocrat who has held power in Nicaragua since 2007, is moving to finalize his transformation of the country into a total one-party state. His rubber-stamp National Assembly is preparing to vote in early August on legislation that would formally ban opposition parties from participating in elections.
This blatant power grab follows Ortega’s own declaration that he would build a 'wall' to ensure his political rivals never again have the opportunity to challenge his regime. Ortega’s rule has been defined by the systematic imprisonment, exile, and disenfranchisement of any credible political threat.
The regime has already dismantled the pretense of a fair electoral process, having previously jailed or disqualified all viable candidates ahead of the 2021 election.
The consolidation of power extends to his wife, Rosario Murillo, whom Ortega recently installed as 'co-president' through a constitutional reform that also extended presidential terms to six years.
While international figures have decried the move as a descent into the same authoritarian model seen in Cuba and North Korea, the Nicaraguan legislative leadership remains defiant, vowing to leave 'not even a crack' for the opposition to exist.
For the people of Nicaragua, this is the final nail in the coffin of their democratic rights, as the regime continues to prioritize its own survival over the basic tenets of popular consent.
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