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Daniel Ortega announced the end of elections in Nicaragua and intends to prevent the opposition from coming to power through the polls; in response, Marco Rubio called for an international reaction and warned that the United States will not stand “idly by”.
Daniel Ortega announced that Nicaragua will no longer hold elections, effectively canceling the election scheduled for November 2027 and provoking a reaction from the United States, which promised to respond but has not yet announced new measures.
Ortega announces end of elections in Nicaragua
According to g1, President Daniel Ortega announced on Sunday that there will be no new elections in Nicaragua. The statement was made during the celebration of the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution of 1979.
“There will be no more elections here for them to try to take the government and power,” declared Ortega. At 80 years old, he was making his first public appearance in approximately two months.
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The president stated that he will work with the National Assembly to approve laws aimed at preventing opposition parties from taking power through the polls. He did not explain how this change will be formally implemented.
The National Assembly is controlled by Ortega. The president also exercises, alongside his wife, Rosario Murillo, control over almost all branches of the state, including the Armed Forces, the police, and the Judiciary.
The announcement effectively cancels the elections that were scheduled for November 2027. The election would have been held after a constitutional reform approved in January 2025.
This reform increased the presidential term from five to six years and designated Rosario Murillo as “co-president”. The change formally expanded the political role played by Ortega’s wife within the Nicaraguan government.
Marco Rubio promises reaction from the United States
According to mercopress, on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States “will not stand idly by” in response to Ortega’s announced decision.
In a statement released by the State Department, Rubio urged the international community to “join forces” to respond to what he described as attacks by the Nicaraguan government against the hemisphere’s democratic principles.
“Daniel Ortega’s declaration that, under his family’s dictatorship, Nicaragua will never hold elections again exposes his true authoritarian nature,” Rubio declared.
The statement was titled “A Call to Action.” In the document, the secretary also linked the behavior of the Nicaraguan government to the maintenance of its economic relations with other countries.
According to the text, the Ortega and Murillo government “cannot expect to maintain normal trade relations with other nations” while undermining the democratic foundations of the region.
Rubio placed Latin America among his priorities as Secretary of State. In June, he had already classified the government led by Ortega and Murillo as a “dictatorship.”
Could the United States carry out a military action?
The statement that Washington will not “stand idly by” may raise questions about how far the United States intends to go to pressure Daniel Ortega. However, the available information does not indicate the preparation of a military action against Nicaragua.
Rubio called for international mobilization and warned about the possibility of the Nicaraguan government not maintaining normal trade relations. The secretary, however, did not present specific measures nor informed what the U.S. response will be.
It is also unclear whether the warning will be followed by new economic sanctions, more visa restrictions, or other forms of diplomatic pressure. Therefore, it is not possible to affirm that a military intervention is being considered.
A direct comparison with U.S. actions related to Nicolás Maduro also cannot be supported by the available information. The statement about Nicaragua does not mention Maduro, Venezuela, troops, military operations, or preparation for an intervention.
What is confirmed is that the United States intends to pressure Ortega and seek support from other countries. Any statement about a possible military operation, at this moment, would go beyond the content effectively announced by the U.S. government.
More than 2,350 officials and relatives were affected
The United States does not recognize the presidency of Daniel Ortega. In recent years, Washington has applied sanctions and visa restrictions against more than 2,350 Nicaraguan officials and their families.
These measures show that the U.S. government is already using diplomatic and economic tools to pressure the Nicaraguan administration. Despite this, Rubio did not indicate whether this set of restrictions will be expanded after the announced end of the elections.
The warning about trade relations was also not accompanied by details. The State Department did not indicate which countries should adopt measures, which sectors could be affected, or when a potential response would be presented.
2021 Election was Internationally Contested
Nicaragua’s last presidential election took place in 2021. The process was considered illegitimate by Washington and international observers after the arrest of the main opposition candidates.
Without his main adversaries in the race, Ortega claimed about 76% of the votes. Since then, opposition members have faced imprisonment, political impediments, or remain outside the country.
A large part of the Nicaraguan opposition is exiled or prohibited from holding public office since the 2018 crisis. During that period, the crackdown on protests left hundreds dead.
In early July, United Nations experts denounced another episode involving the Nicaraguan government: the mass revocation of professional licenses for lawyers in the country.
Ortega has not yet explained what legal changes will be presented to the National Assembly to formally eliminate the elections. The practical response of the United States remains undefined beyond the international mobilization request made by Marco Rubio.
Nicaragua’s Economy Grew, but Heavily Depends on Remittances
Nicaragua’s economy grew by 4.9% in 2025, above the 3.6% recorded in 2024. The Gross Domestic Product reached approximately $22.3 billion, while the GDP per capita was $3,179.70.
According to the World Bank, the performance was mainly driven by construction, mining, services, and financial activities. The services sector led the advance, with gains in trade, transportation, hotels, and restaurants.
The industry also benefited from the expansion of construction and mining. Agriculture showed a modest recovery, supported by increased coffee production, livestock, and related agribusinesses.
Conversely, fishing and aquaculture activities recorded a decline during the analyzed period.
Remittances Reached 29.4% of GDP
Money sent by Nicaraguans living abroad occupies a central position in the national economy. Remittances increased from 27% of GDP in 2024 to 29.4% in 2025.
These resources helped sustain household consumption and investments. The increase in remittances, accompanied by the good performance of exports, also favored Nicaragua’s external accounts.
The current account surplus advanced from 4.2% of GDP in 2024 to 8.4% in 2025. The result was also boosted by exports of gold, coffee, beef, and cattle, benefiting from higher international prices.
The high participation of remittances, however, makes the economic performance more exposed to changes occurring outside Nicaragua, especially in places where workers who send money to their families live.
Inflation fell and public debt decreased
Consumer inflation fell from 4.6% in 2024 to 2.7% in 2025. The World Bank linked this reduction to the drop in global prices and the maintenance of subsidies.
Public debt also decreased, going from 51.7% to 50.7% of GDP. The fiscal surplus fell from 2.4% to 2.1%, a movement associated with the continuation of capital investments.
The banking system remained capitalized and with liquidity above regulatory requirements. Deposits grew 15.2% during 2025, while credit expansion reached 12%.
In the labor market, the employment rate remained relatively stable. It went from 65.3% in December 2024 to 65.5% in the same month of 2025.
Unemployment stood at 2.4%, but underemployment reached approximately 40%. This means that a significant portion of the employed population worked under conditions inferior to those desired in terms of working hours or the use of their skills.
Growth expected to lose momentum in 2026
For 2026, the World Bank forecasts that the Nicaraguan economy will grow by 3.4%. The projection represents a slowdown compared to the 4.9% expansion estimated for 2025.
The expectation is mainly related to the possible weakening of remittances and foreign direct investments. The forecast indicates that growth should stabilize at approximately 3.3% by 2028.
Inflation may increase to 3.1% in 2026. Meanwhile, public debt is expected to continue falling, reaching 48.3% of GDP in the same year and 47.4% in 2028.
Poverty is estimated at approximately 13% for 2025, considering the line of $4.20 per person daily. The World Bank emphasizes, however, that this number results from simulations. The most recent effective survey used is from 2014.
Among the main risks are global uncertainties, a slowdown of trading partners, limited access to multilateral financing, the reduction of remittances, and the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
Main source: World Bank, Macro Poverty Outlook of April 2026
