Nicaragua Approves Sweeping Reforms Cementing Ortega-Murillo Power

The constitutional changes elevate Rosario Murillo to 'co-president' and expand the regime's control over state institutions and dissent.

Nicaragua's National Assembly, dominated by Daniel Ortega's ruling party, unanimously approved constitutional reforms increasing presidential terms from five to six years and granting Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, joint executive authority as 'co-presidents.'
The reforms enable the co-presidents to oversee all branches of government, including legislative, judicial, and electoral bodies, further consolidating their control over the state.
Critics warn the changes codify a dictatorship, with measures allowing the stripping of citizenship from those deemed 'traitors to the homeland' and tighter media restrictions to suppress dissent.
The reforms follow years of escalating repression, including the closure of over 5,000 NGOs, mass arrests of opposition figures, and the forced exile of thousands of Nicaraguans since 2018 protests.
Rights groups and international organizations, including the UN and Organization of American States, have condemned the amendments as a severe blow to democracy and human rights in Nicaragua.