The United Nations' top human rights official has condemned Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's announcement that the country will no longer hold elections, warning that the move would eliminate any possibility of a political contest and further entrench the authoritarian rule he shares with his wife.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued the rebuke on Wednesday, describing Ortega's declaration as a "new deterioration" of civil and political rights in the Central American nation. On Sunday, Ortega stated that Nicaragua would cease holding elections, a decision that would remove the prospect of an electoral dispute when his current term ends next year.
"People of all political persuasions must have the right to vote and run for public office, in accordance with the state's international human rights obligations," Turk said in a statement. He added that power is becoming increasingly concentrated under the country's co-presidency, a system Ortega shares with his wife, Rosario Murillo.
The Nicaraguan government also revoked the credentials of several lawyers earlier this month, a move Turk said lacked any legal basis or official explanation. He described the civic space in Nicaragua as now "almost closed," with independent thought or expression being systematically repressed.
Turk urged the authorities to release at least 46 people who remain arbitrarily detained for political reasons. The UN official's comments underscore mounting international concern over the accelerating erosion of democratic institutions in Nicaragua, where Ortega has been in power since 2007 and has progressively consolidated control over all branches of government.
The announcement on elections follows a pattern of tightening authoritarian measures, including the jailing of political opponents, the closure of independent media, and the outlawing of civil society organizations. The international community has repeatedly called for the restoration of democratic freedoms, but Ortega has shown little willingness to yield to external pressure.
As the region watches closely, the UN's condemnation adds to growing diplomatic isolation for the Ortega-Murillo government, with several Latin American nations and the United States having already imposed sanctions on Nicaraguan officials over human rights abuses.
