Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has initiated another constitutional amendment aimed at extending the country’s presidential tenure from six to seven years, further strengthening his grip on power after nearly two decades in office.
The proposal, which is expected to receive approval from the National Assembly in September, forms part of a wider package of constitutional changes introduced by Ortega’s administration.
Among the proposed measures is a provision that would prohibit individuals labelled by the government as “traitors” or “coup conspirators” from contesting future elections, a move critics say would further sideline political opposition.
Ortega, now 80, has governed Nicaragua continuously since 2007.
During his presidency, the country’s political system has undergone significant changes, with opponents facing imprisonment, exile, and the loss of their citizenship as his administration tightened control over state institutions.
The presidency has already seen multiple adjustments under Ortega’s leadership.
Lawmakers abolished presidential term limits in 2014, allowing unlimited re-election, while another constitutional amendment adopted in 2024 increased the length of a presidential mandate from five to six years.
The same legislative reforms also elevated Vice President Rosario Murillo, Ortega’s wife, to the position of co-president, ensuring she would constitutionally assume leadership if the president becomes permanently unable to perform his duties.
Nicaragua last held presidential elections in November 2021, when Ortega secured another term in a vote widely criticised by international observers after leading opposition figures were either arrested, prevented from participating, or forced to flee the country.
Most credible challengers were barred from contesting the election, leaving only little-known candidates on the ballot with limited public support.
Numerous opposition activists were also detained in the lead-up to the vote.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has repeatedly expressed concern over Nicaragua’s deteriorating human rights situation, warning that judicial independence has weakened while pressure on government critics has intensified.
Public criticism of Ortega’s administration has become increasingly rare since security forces violently suppressed nationwide demonstrations in 2018, an operation that resulted in the deaths of more than 300 people.
Many opposition figures living abroad have also faced punitive actions, including the revocation of their nationality and the confiscation and sale of properties they left behind after fleeing the country.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong