Nicaragua's government-controlled National Assembly has given first-round approval to a constitutional overhaul that would bar broadly defined government opponents from elections and extend presidential and other senior terms from six to seven years. The unanimous vote took place on Tuesday in León and was promoted by co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, marking a major new stage in the country's continuing political restructuring.
The amendment says people labeled traitors to the homeland, as well as those judged to have supported a coup attempt, foreign financing or actions against national sovereignty, may not seek elected office, hold appointed public posts or lead political parties. The authorities describe the provisions as protection against foreign interference, while rights monitors say the language gives the government wide discretion to exclude genuine competitors.
The seven-year period would apply to the co-presidency, legislators, mayors and other elected officials, along with senior judicial and electoral authorities and the heads of the army and police. Reporting by Reuters, AP and EFE says the change postpones the next presidential vote and prolongs the current authorities' mandates, although accounts differ on whether the next national ballot would fall in late 2027 or 2028 under the revised timetable.
The measure is not yet in force. Nicaragua requires constitutional amendments to pass in two separate legislative sessions, and Murillo said a second vote would begin on January 18, 2027. The governing Sandinista National Liberation Front controls the legislature, making final approval highly likely, but the remaining ratification is a legally important step.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged international partners on Wednesday to end business as usual with Nicaragua's government and said Washington would pursue action through the Organization of American States. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights had earlier warned that the proposal would institutionalize indefinite rule, restrict political competition and weaken conditions for a democratic transfer of power.
Ortega, 80, returned to office in 2007 and has governed alongside Murillo as co-president since an earlier constitutional restructuring. Nicaragua has faced a prolonged political crisis since security forces suppressed anti-government protests in 2018, when more than 300 people died according to international monitors. The coming second vote and any regional diplomatic measures will determine how quickly the new rules reshape the country's already restricted political system.
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