Topic
Nicaraguan political developments
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Peru Urges OAS and UN to Address Nicaragua Political Reforms
On 3 September 2026, Peru’s foreign ministry issued Official Communique 015-26, which rejected recent constitutional reforms in Nicaragua and urged the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS) to activate all available mechanisms. The reform, approved by Nicaragua’s parliament in a first vote on 1 September 2026, prohibits the domestic application of foreign laws, a move described by Peru as an attempt to liquidate democratic institutions and consolidate the Ortega and Murillo government. This action followed a 19 August 2026 OAS resolution that declared representative democracy no longer exists in Nicaragua. Peru explicitly cited the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which defines democracy as an obligation, to justify its call for international intervention.
US Urges Partners to End Business With Nicaragua
On 1 September 2026, Nicaragua’s National Assembly passed a constitutional reform in Leon that extended official terms to seven years and barred opposition parties from future elections. Following this vote, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the government an 'illegitimate dynasty' and called on international partners to cease 'business as usual' with the Ortega-Murillo administration. The reform specifically targets individuals labeled as 'traitors to the homeland'—a designation already applied to at least 452 critics—and grants the Supreme Electoral Council authority to cancel parties accused of receiving foreign funding.
Rubio urges international isolation of Nicaragua after opposition party ban
On March 9, 2026, Nicaragua’s National Assembly voted to bar opposition parties from future elections and extended presidential and official terms from six to seven years. The reform, which also excludes opposition figures accused of coup-related activities, is framed by the government as a security measure following mass protests in 2018. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the move as the collapse of democratic pretenses and urged the international community to cease normal business operations with the Managua government. President Daniel Ortega and co-president Rosario Murillo framed the legislative changes as necessary to prevent the opposition from seizing power.
US plans to use regional body to address Nicaragua's constitutional changes
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States would utilize the Organization of American States (OAS) to isolate the Nicaraguan government following constitutional reforms passed by lawmakers on Tuesday. The changes effectively banned opposition parties from elections and extended presidential terms from six to seven years. President Daniel Ortega, who previously initiated the country's withdrawal from the OAS in 2022, described the reforms as a way to exclude "traitors" from the political process. The US move aimed to urge regional counterparts to cease "business as usual" with a government that officials characterized as a threat to hemispheric stability.
Nicaraguan Congress passes constitutional reform changing election and term rules
On Tuesday, Nicaragua’s National Assembly passed a constitutional reform in its first legislative vote that bans opposition parties from elections and extends the terms of the president, vice president, and security heads from six to seven years. Backed by co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, the amendment also formally shifts the presidential term length, following a 2024 reform that had previously elevated Murillo to co-president and extended terms from five to six years. The initiative, which prevents future elections to stop the opposition from seizing government power, must be ratified in a second legislative session scheduled for January 18 to take effect. This development follows a period of ongoing political crisis that began with the government's 2018 repression of anti-government protests, which resulted in over 300 deaths.
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