Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega announced Sunday that elections will no longer be held in the country, a declaration that has drawn strong condemnation from U.S. officials and raised concerns about the future of democracy in the Central American nation. Speaking at a state-organized event marking the 1979 Sandinista revolution, Ortega said his government will prevent the opposition, much of which is now in exile, from regaining power through elections. “There will never be elections here again,” he declared.

Ortega, 80, whose presidency has spanned multiple decades since first taking office in the 1980s and again continuously since 2007, has overseen a consolidation of power that critics say has transformed Nicaragua into an increasingly authoritarian state. In 2025, a constitutional amendment granted his wife, Rosario Murillo, the role of co-president, with Murillo effectively managing daily governmental affairs as Ortega’s health reportedly declines.

Ortega’s remarks come ahead of scheduled presidential elections in 2027, amid speculation about a potential dynastic succession. He also indicated plans to work with Nicaragua’s congress to establish a “wall of legislation” designed to bar opposition candidates from holding office. Since his last electoral victory in 2021, widely denounced by the U.S. and international observers as illegitimate due to the arrest and imprisonment of political opponents, the opposition has largely been forced into exile.

The repercussions of Ortega’s rule have been significant. Over the past several years, his government has shut down or expelled more than 5,000 civic organizations that provided crucial services such as education, water, and healthcare to vulnerable populations. Independent media outlets have been closed, nearly 400 political prisoners have been detained or expelled, and the citizenship of approximately 500 civic, political, and religious leaders has been revoked. Ortega’s administration has also taken control of more than 25 universities and expelled members of religious orders, including Catholic nuns affiliated with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, serving as Secretary of State, urged the international community to act to prevent the cancellation of elections and to counter Ortega’s growing repression. Speaking Monday via social media platform X, Rubio accused Ortega of failing to respect the will of the Nicaraguan people and warned that Ortega and Murillo’s actions pose threats to U.S. national security, though he did not elaborate on specific threats.

Despite some U.S. sanctions imposed on the Ortega government, Nicaragua has remained a relatively low priority for the Trump administration compared to other countries in the region like Venezuela and Cuba. Analysts suggest this is due to Nicaragua’s limited role in drug trafficking and its cooperation with U.S. anti-narcotics efforts.

Rosario Murillo, who also functions as the government spokesperson, did not respond to requests for comment on Ortega’s announcement. Meanwhile, continued repression and political control have prompted nearly a million Nicaraguans to flee, predominantly to Costa Rica and the United States, as many fear declining political freedoms and the eroding rule of law under Ortega’s regime.