US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denounced Nicaragua's ruling elite for passing a reform that bars opposition parties from future elections, calling it the "final collapse" of the country's democratic pretences. The reform, which also extends presidential terms to seven years, was passed unanimously in the National Assembly on Tuesday and still requires a second vote before taking effect in January. Rubio has urged US allies to isolate Nicaragua's "brutal dictatorship", calling for an end to routine dealings with Managua. According to Nicaraguan law, constitutional amendments require two separate legislative sessions to take effect, with the next vote scheduled for January 18.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-03,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged Nicaragua's international allies to isolate the country's government due to its "brutal dictatorship". This comes after Nicaragua's National Assembly voted to ban opposition parties from future elections, a move Rubio describes as the final collapse of the country's democratic pretences. The reform also extends presidential terms from six to seven years and bars opposition figures deemed to have taken part in planning or carrying out a coup from holding office. A second legislative vote is required before the changes take effect in January, although Nicaraguan law requires two separate sessions for constitutional amendments.
Written for “Nicaragua Opposition Ban” on 2026-09-03,
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Ortega hit back at Washington dismissing US pressure while the reform - which also extends presidential terms to seven years - still requires a second legislative vote before taking effect in January.
asserted
which → hit → January
Nicaragua's ruling elite tightened its grip on power this week after the country's National Assembly voted to bar opposition parties from future elections, a move US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denounced as the final collapse of the country's democratic pretences.
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Rubio → rule → pretences
The reform, passed unanimously in a special outdoor legislative session on Tuesday, will formally exclude from office any opposition figures deemed to have taken part in planning or carrying out a coup.
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reform → pass → coup
It also extends the presidential term from six to seven years, along with the terms of other elected officials and the heads of the army and police.
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It → extend → army
Tuesday's vote was only the first of two required approvals: Nicaraguan law requires constitutional amendments to clear two separate legislative sessions before taking effect, and co-president Rosario Murillo has said the second vote will begin on January 18.
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vote → require → January
Rubio said the vote confirmed that Nicaragua's elections could no longer be considered free or fair, describing the National Assembly as "captive" to President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Murillo.
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elections → say → Ortega
In a statement, he said the pair had used the reform to "entrench their illegitimate dynasty" and indefinitely deny Nicaraguans the chance to vote them out.
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pair → say → them
He went further, calling on other nations to cut off routine dealings with Managua.
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He → go → Managua
"Dictatorships that deny the unalienable rights of their citizens should not enjoy the same economic or political benefits as governments committed to defending hemispheric peace and security," Rubio said, urging international partners to "immediately stop business as usual operations with this brutal dictatorship."
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Rubio → deny → dictatorship
Ortega hit back, without naming Rubio directly, casting the United States as an aggressor emboldened by its military strength.
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Ortega → hit → strength
Speaking at an event marking the anniversary of the Nicaraguan army, he said: "Simply because it is a global military power, it feels entitled to attack."
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it → speak → army
He added a defiant message to critics of his government: "To those who constantly threaten us, here you have a people and an army that will never be bought and never surrender."
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that → add → people
On 19 July, Ortega had already signalled the direction of travel, declaring publicly that "there won't be any more elections" in Nicaragua, a step he framed as necessary to stop the opposition from "seizing the government" again.
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he → signal → government
From 2018 protests to one-party rule
The government has long framed its crackdown on dissent as a response to the mass protests of 2018, which it characterises as an attempted coup.
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it → frame → coup
Nicaragua has been in a deep political crisis since those protests began in April 2018, when the government's repression of the demonstrations left more than 300 dead and thousands injured according to estimates, triggering a mass exodus from the country.
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repression → begin → country
The fallout has reshaped Nicaraguan political life ever since — thousands of people, including opposition leaders, activists, journalists, intellectuals and priests, were forced into exile in the aftermath.
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thousands → reshape → aftermath
Ortega and Murillo became co-presidents in 2025 under an earlier round of constitutional changes, a shift that has left the couple in effective control of every branch of government.
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that → become → government
This week's reform builds on that consolidation, closing off one of the last formal avenues through which organised opposition could contest their rule — though, it will not be final until the second legislative vote in January.
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it → build → January
