Elections & Democracy
Nicaragua reform: Ortega calls US an enemy
Daniel Ortega called the United States the “enemy” of countries like Nicaragua after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged international partners to “stop business as usual” with Managua over constitutional reforms restricting opposition participation in elections.
Rubio said Ortega, co-president Rosario Murillo and what he called Nicaragua's “captive National Assembly” had rewritten the constitution to entrench their rule and deprive Nicaraguans of free and fair elections.
Nicaragua's National Assembly unanimously approved the reforms on Tuesday during a special outdoor session. The measures are set to be formally ratified next year.
Under the changes, any opposition member involved in planning or carrying out a coup d'etat would be banned from running for office. The presidential term would also be extended from six to seven years.
Without referring directly to Rubio, Ortega said Wednesday night that the United States felt entitled to attack because it was a global military power. “To those who constantly threaten us, here you have a people and an army that will never be bought and never surrender,” he said.
Ortega's government describes mass protests in 2018, which were violently suppressed, as attempts to overthrow him. The United Nations says the crackdown left more than 300 people dead. Thousands of Nicaraguans have since gone into exile, including opposition leaders, activists, journalists, intellectuals and priests.
Ortega and Murillo became co-presidents in 2025 under a previous constitutional amendment. They have since gained effective control of all levers of government.
Rubio said governments that deny citizens' rights should not receive the same economic or political benefits as governments committed to hemispheric peace and security. Opposition leaders in exile have warned that the amendment is designed to ensure succession of power within the Ortega-Murillo family if Ortega's health worsens.
Update
Daniel Ortega said the United States is the “enemy” of countries like Nicaragua during a gathering for the anniversary of the Nicaraguan army.
Ortega said Nicaragua's people and army would “never be bought and never surrender” in response to those he said threaten the country.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 September 2026 at 03:32:10 UTC.
Update
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged international partners to immediately stop business as usual operations with Nicaragua.
Rubio said Nicaragua's National Assembly had further eroded democracy by rewriting the constitution to entrench Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo's rule.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 15:32:18 UTC.
Update
The United States urged partners to cut ties with Nicaragua after the opposition ban.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 14:48:27 UTC.
Update
The Organization of American States has approved an emergency foreign ministers' meeting to discuss sanctions against Nicaragua, with the date not confirmed.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would not stand by as the Murillo-Ortega government deepened repression.
The European Union condemned what it called systemic repression by Nicaraguan authorities and urged free elections.
Almost a million Nicaraguans have sought exile in Costa Rica, the United States and Spain over the last eight years.
The United Nations says the suppression of 2018 anti-government protests left more than 300 people dead.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 07:30:12 UTC.
Update
The vote took place in a special session in front of Leon Cathedral, northwest of Managua.
The reform is expected to be ratified in a second legislative session set to begin in early 2027.
Exiled opposition figures warned the change could help secure succession within the Ortega-Murillo family.
Exiled opposition lawyer Juan Diego Barbarena said voters would only be able to choose among the government's options.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 02:52:03 UTC.
Update
National Assembly leader Gustavo Porras said the measure was approved unanimously.
The amendment bars from elections anyone who participates in "coup attempts or treason" or calls for "military intervention."
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 00:36:18 UTC.
Update
Nicaragua's Congress approved the reform banning opposition figures from elections, according to an official cited in the source item.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 00:14:05 UTC.
Update
The reform also seeks to extend the presidential term from six years to seven years.
Daniel Ortega has been in power since 2006 and governs alongside co-president Rosario Murillo.
The United States, European Union and United Nations have condemned the initiative.
Thousands have fled Nicaragua since the repression of anti-government protests in 2018.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 September 2026 at 23:31:15 UTC.
Update
Parliamentary leader Gustavo Porras announced that lawmakers are set to approve the reform on Tuesday.
The measure is described as a constitutional reform restricting opposition participation in elections.
Porras had previously indicated that the bill targets opposition members whom Daniel Ortega considers US-backed "sellouts" and "coup-mongers".
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 September 2026 at 23:13:25 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The reforms have been approved by the legislature but are still set for formal ratification next year.
Source
AFP news report published on .