cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49691588

July 20 (Reuters) - Nicaragua’s long-serving president Daniel Ortega said the Central American country will no longer hold elections, eliminating the possibility of an electoral challenge when his term ends next year and further ‌entrenching the rule he shares with his wife.

Ortega, who has continuously held power since 2007 following an earlier presidential term in the 1980s, said the move will close off any path to the opposition, although he did not provide details about carrying out the measure.

  • HubertManne@piefed.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    4 hours ago

    How much power does he hold? Is this like trump saying something but still has to have the congress and courts sign off or is it a done deal?

  • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    27
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    21 hours ago

    Ortega and Murillo’s government has been accused by the ​U.N. Human ⁠Rights Council of transforming the country “into an authoritarian state” and systematically violating human rights.

    Glances at neighboring Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala

    shrugs

    Isn’t that just how we’re running Latin American countries now?

  • ryannathans@aussie.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    18
    arrow-down
    8
    ·
    20 hours ago

    Another US/Israel vs Russia proxy war

    It was a only a matter of time before Nicaragua hit headlines with it now being the last functionally standing member of the Venezuela/Cuba/Nicaragua troika. With Venezuela it was the oil, with Nicaragua it looks like it’s the gold mining that was added to a massive list of US sanctions from 2022

    Choked by sanctions like the others and seeing what happened to Venezuela I’m not surprised they have ended elections, ramped up defence and last year started making military agreements with Moscow

    Give it a few months and the Ortegas will be in US prisons or dead

  • brave_lemmywinks@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    edit-2
    20 hours ago

    Latin America seems to oscillate between Left dictators and Right dictators. I know nothing of Nicaraguan history or politics but I hate seeing old farts like these just refusing to roll over an die.