SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — The United States warned Tuesday that it “will not stand by” after Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega declared the country would no longer hold elections that include opposition parties backed by the United States, drawing international condemnation and renewed concerns over one-party rule.
Ortega, who has been in power for nearly two decades, said Sunday there “won’t be elections in Nicaragua” involving parties supported by the “Yankees,” referring to the United States.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded on X, saying President Donald Trump and the international community “will not stand by as the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship deepens repression at home and manufactures instability that threatens U.S. national security.”
Rubio added that Ortega’s statement “proves his cowardice and fear of the Nicaraguan people’s will.”
The Organization of American States also condemned Ortega’s remarks, saying the government had “abandoned democracy.”
Nicaragua is scheduled to hold general elections in 2027 after constitutional reforms extended the presidential term from five to six years. Ortega’s government has faced widespread international criticism since its crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018 that left more than 300 people dead, according to the United Nations.
The country’s 2021 elections took place after several opposition candidates were jailed, allowing Ortega’s Sandinista National Liberation Front to secure an uncontested victory.
Opposition leaders, many now living in exile, said Ortega’s latest declaration reflects concerns that he could lose a free and fair election. They also accused the government of consolidating power by stripping dissidents of their citizenship and assets following constitutional changes adopted in 2025.
The United States has imposed sanctions on Nicaragua, including visa restrictions on more than 2,350 government officials and their family members, in response to the government’s crackdown on political opponents.
Ortega and co-President Rosario Murillo have accused opposition groups of attempting to overthrow the government and of betraying the country.
