Overview
- The National Assembly, controlled by the FSLN, voted unanimously on September 2, 2026 to approve a constitutional amendment that bars anyone the state brands a “traitor” or who took part in putsch-like actions from standing for public office.
- The text lengthens the presidential term from six to seven years and permits unlimited re-election, a change that directly affects President Daniel Ortega and Vice‑President Rosario Murillo.
- Parliament President Gustavo Porras read the amendment at a special session in León and lawmakers said a second, ratifying vote is planned for next year as the next formal step.
- The reform follows past mass arrests and expulsions of critics after 2018 and ahead of the 2021 vote, which analysts say shows how vague charges like “treason” can be used to remove opponents from the political field.
- The United States, the European Union, the United Nations and the Organization of American States criticized the exclusionary measure, and the change deepens existing international disputes over the legitimacy of Nicaragua’s electoral process.