U.S. condemns Nicaragua's decision to scrap elections

The United States issued a forceful condemnation of Nicaragua’s government on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, warning it would not stand idly by after President Daniel Ortega announced the country would no longer hold elections. Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled Ortega’s pledge an admission of his “true authoritarian nature” and called for international pressure on the Central American nation.

Ortega made the announcement during a speech in Managua on Sunday, July 19, marking the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution he helped lead. "There won't be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power," the 80-year-old leader declared. While he did not specify the mechanism, he indicated his government would work with the National Assembly to enact laws barring opposition parties from gaining power through the ballot box. The statement effectively cancels general elections that had been rescheduled for November 2027 following a constitutional reform.

Rubio, in an official statement from the State Department, urged nations across the Western Hemisphere to isolate Nicaragua, arguing the Ortega-Murillo government “cannot expect to maintain business as...