UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned President Daniel Ortega's pledge to block competitive elections and called on Nicaraguan authorities to restore the rule of law on Wednesday, after Managua's congress announced plans to formalise the suspension of future votes.
Ortega declared on July 19 that his government would not permit elections that threaten ruling-party control and promised to work with lawmakers on legislation to shut out the opposition. Türk warned that the moves severely worsen existing restrictions on fundamental freedoms and noted that at least 46 political prisoners remain detained. The whereabouts of 80-year-old Bishop Abelardo Mata, held since late June, remain unknown.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday urged the international community to act jointly against the Ortega-Murillo government. Ortega, in power since 2007, has governed alongside his wife Rosario Murillo as co-president since a 2025 constitutional change.