Nicaragua Ends Elections As Christians Face Growing Pressure

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

MANAGUA (Worthy News) – Outspoken Christians and other government critics are expected to face mounting pressure after Nicaragua’s long-serving President Daniel Ortega said the Central American nation will no longer hold elections, eliminating any possibility of an electoral challenge when his current term ends next year and further consolidating the power he shares with his wife, Rosario Murillo.

“There won’t be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power,” Ortega declared Sunday during celebrations marking the anniversary of the 1979 Sandinista revolution, which brought him to power after the overthrow of the U.S.-backed Anastasio Somoza dictatorship.

“The days when parties backed by the Yankees (United States) and the Somocistas would return to power are over—never again,” added Ortega, 80, making his first public appearance in two months.

His remarks formalized what critics say has effectively become a one-party state after years of dismantling democratic institutions and suppressing political opposition.

The latest move follows constitutional reforms approved last year that named Murillo as Nicaragua’s “co-president,” extended the presidential term to six years and further strengthened the couple’s grip on power.

POWER FURTHER CONSOLIDATED

Ortega, who first served as president during the 1980s before returning to office in 2007, now governs alongside Murillo while the couple exercises control over virtually every branch of government, including the armed forces and the judiciary.

Nicaragua’s 2021 presidential election was widely condemned after Ortega’s government jailed opposition candidates, detained business leaders and criminalized dissent before voters went to the polls.

The U.N. Human Rights Council has accused the Ortega-Murillo government of transforming Nicaragua “into an authoritarian state” while systematically violating human rights.

The United Nations has also cited the government’s violent response to nationwide anti-government protests in 2018, when more than 300 people were killed in a crackdown, according to international human rights investigators.

Analysts said Ortega’s latest declaration removed any remaining pretense of democratic competition.

OPPOSITION VOICES ALARM

“Ortega and Murillo are evidently afraid at the idea that the slightest political opening could create the conditions for dissent to manifest and threaten their grip on power,” said Tiziano Breda, a senior analyst with the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project.

“Instead of staging a rigged election, they have opted to eliminate electoral competition altogether,” Breda added.

Felix Maradiaga, an opposition presidential hopeful who was imprisoned from 2021 until his expulsion to the United States in 2023, described Ortega’s remarks as “a confession of fear.”

“Ortega publicly acknowledged what has always been his true intention: to prevent his tyrannical project from being subjected to any form of democratic competition,” Maradiaga told Reuters.

Other opposition figures said Ortega had already eliminated meaningful political competition through previous elections and constitutional changes that forced many critics into exile.

CHRISTIANS UNDER PRESSURE

The deepening authoritarian rule has also coincided with what religious freedom advocates describe as an escalating crackdown on Christians.

Advocacy group Open Doors ranks Nicaragua 32nd on its 2026 World Watch List of the countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. The organization says believers who publicly criticize the government over issues including human rights violations have faced surveillance, intimidation, imprisonment and exile.

“We live in constant fear; we have no freedom,” a church leader identified only as Viviana said in comments published by Open Doors. “We knew the government was collecting information, and any statement against them could have consequences.”

According to Open Doors, the crackdown intensified after nationwide protests erupted in 2018 and worsened following the disputed 2021 elections and constitutional reforms in 2025. Churches, Christian schools and charities have had legal recognition revoked, assets seized, activities disrupted and, in some cases, banned because authorities viewed them as threats to the regime.

CHURCHES STAND FIRM

While the Roman Catholic Church has been the primary target, Protestant Christians—including Pentecostals and Baptists—have also faced increasing pressure, particularly if they refuse to demonstrate political loyalty, Open Doors says.

Despite the restrictions, many Christians continue worshipping, often in private homes after losing legal recognition.

“God has not abandoned us,” Pastor Dana said in comments published by Open Doors. “We keep meeting in homes, praying and trusting in Jesus.”

The latest developments underscore growing concern among human rights advocates that Nicaragua is becoming increasingly isolated as democratic freedoms, civil society and religious liberty continue to come under mounting pressure.

Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.