Nicaragua proposes presidential term extension

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has put forward a proposal to extend the presidential term by an additional year. The plan is part of a broader constitutional reform that would also prevent opposition members considered by the government to be "traitors" or "coup plotters" from seeking elected office. The government-controlled National Assembly is anticipated to approve these changes in September 2026, according to reports from the BBC.

Background to Reforms

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President Ortega, who has held power since 2007, has overseen multiple modifications to the country's presidential term limits during his tenure. In 2014, presidential term limits were removed by the National Assembly. More recently, in 2024, the term length was extended from five years to six years. That same year, the legislative body approved a plan to designate Ortega's wife, Rosario Murillo, as "co-president." This measure allows her to assume the presidency if Ortega, who is reported to be in frail health, is declared "permanently absent."

Crackdown on Opposition

The last presidential elections in Nicaragua took place in November 2021. These elections were won by Ortega following a severe crackdown on opposition figures. Potential rival candidates capable of gaining significant support were detained, disqualified from running, or forced into exile. Numerous other opposition members were also arrested, with only a few little-known candidates permitted to participate. United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk has expressed concern over escalating government repression, a decline in the rule of law, and increased persecution of political dissidents in the country.

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Few Nicaraguans have publicly voiced opposition to Ortega and Murillo since security forces suppressed anti-government protests in 2018, resulting in over 300 deaths. Dissidents living outside Nicaragua have also faced repercussions, including the stripping of their citizenship and the seizure and sale of their property within the country.