UN rights chief condemns Nicaragua’s abolition of elections

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has condemned Nicaragua’s decision to abolish elections, describing the move as part of an escalating crackdown on civil and political rights. The condemnation follows President Daniel Ortega’s announcement on Sunday that there will be no elections, a decision that effectively removes any prospect of a challenge to the ruling couple’s power.

Turk stated that the latest developments further deepen severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms and the steady erosion of the rule of law in the Central American country. He urged the authorities to reopen civic space and restore the rule of law, citing the systematic suppression of independent expression and the arbitrary detention of at least 46 people on political grounds.

Ortega, who has ruled alongside his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, for almost two decades, declared that “there won’t be elections” in the country. General elections were originally due in November, but constitutional reforms passed 18 months ago extended the presidential term from five to six years, pushing the vote back to 2027.

Turk noted that power is increasingly concentrated under a “co-presidency,” with the ruling Sandinista party holding full control over parliament, all municipalities, and regional councils on the North and South Caribbean Coast. The UN statement cited the government’s abrupt revocation of several lawyers’ credentials earlier this month, which it said had no legal justification.

The UN rights chief also raised concerns over the detention of Bishop Abelardo Mata Guevara, who has been held since 29 June, with his whereabouts remaining unclear. Turk urged Managua to release all those held arbitrarily “with humanity and dignity” and highlighted the need for people of all political viewpoints to be allowed to vote and run for office, in line with the State’s international human rights obligations.

Since a deadly crackdown on protests in 2018, in which more than 300 people were killed according to UN figures, Ortega and Murillo have tightened their grip on Nicaraguan society. Turk warned that independent expression of thought or opinion is systematically suppressed, calling for an immediate restoration of democratic processes.