The Daily Journal — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday condemned remarks by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who said the country will never hold elections again.
In a post on X, Rubio said, “Daniel Ortega’s declaration that, under his family’s dictatorship, Nicaragua will never hold elections again exposes the regime’s true authoritarian nature.”
Rubio argued that Ortega and his wife, Co-President Rosario Murillo, have “abandoned even the pretense of governing with the consent of the people.” He also defended the right of Nicaraguans to choose their leaders through democratic elections.
Rubio warned that President Donald Trump’s administration and the international community “will not stand by” while the “Murillo-Ortega dictatorship intensifies repression and fuels instability,” which he said threatens U.S. national security.
The Secretary of State also urged the international community to “join forces” and make it clear to Nicaragua’s government that it cannot expect normal relations with other nations while it undermines the fundamental principles of the democratic hemisphere.
Rubio stated in response to Ortega’s announcement on Sunday during the 47th anniversary celebration of the Sandinista Revolution. Ortega declared, “There will be no more elections so that they (the opposition) can try to seize the government and take power.”
Ortega, 80, has governed Nicaragua since 2007. In February 2025, a constitutional reform extended the presidential term from five to six years, created the position of co-president for Rosario Murillo, and strengthened the couple’s control over the country’s institutions.
