President Daniel Ortega's announcement that Nicaragua will eliminate future elections has drawn sharp criticism from exiled opposition figures. Among them is Dora María Téllez, a former Sandinista guerrilla leader and basic figure in the 1979 revolution, who now lives in southern Spain after her expulsion from Nicaragua. The announcement comes amid a wider constitutional overhaul. Proposed changes would restrict who can run for office and extend elected terms; separate amendments would restructure the executive branch.
Téllez, once celebrated for her role in the 1978 assault on the Palacio Nacional, has been stripped of her Nicaraguan citizenship and lives under constant threat of reprisals from the Ortega-Murillo government. Information from El País, she and her wife, Ana Margarita Vijil, both former political prisoners, have adapted to life in Spain but remain deeply engaged in the struggle for democratic change in their homeland.
The decision to cancel elections, announced on the anniversary of the Sandinista revolution, marks a new phase in Nicaragua's authoritarian turn. In September 2026, the National Assembly approved a constitutional amendment in its first legislative stage. It would bar people designated “traitors to the homeland” from elections, extend terms for elected offices from six to seven years, and deny legal effect in Nicaragua to laws of foreign states or international organizations. The provisions are not yet fully in force: the amendment still requires approval by a second legislature. Téllez argues that Ortega has effectively become a lifelong dictator, pointing to a pattern of electoral fraud and rising repression since 2006. She describes the regime as isolated and in crisis, citing recent arrests of opposition figures and purges within state institutions as signs of internal instability.
On 22 October 2026, lawmakers also approved a separate amendment to Article 126 in a first reading. It would eliminate the vice-presidency and allow the presidency to appoint “presidential designates” to carry out functions assigned by the executive. The vote was reported as unanimous in an Assembly dominated by Ortega’s allies. A second legislative session, expected to begin on 9 January 2027, and publication in La Gaceta are required before the change can take effect. The proposal follows the 2025 constitutional overhaul, which established a co-presidency for Ortega and Rosario Murillo and increased presidential terms from five to six years. It also placed the legislature and courts under the presidency’s “coordination,” along with the electoral branch. Murillo, vice president since 2017, became co-president in February 2025.
For Téllez, the crackdown reaches beyond political opponents to their families and associates, with reports of targeted violence against critics even outside Nicaragua. She says the government's actions, including revoking professional licenses and imprisoning former allies, reflect a broader effort to consolidate power, particularly by Murillo, Ortega's wife and co-president. Opposition figures have also described the constitutional changes as a concentration of power and warned they could prepare the ground for a dynastic succession.
In Téllez's assessment, the decision to end elections is both a show of defiance and a sign of vulnerability. She points to Ortega's declining health and Murillo's lack of political cohesion as factors that could accelerate the regime's downfall. She also compares Nicaragua with other authoritarian governments in the region, noting that external pressure and internal crises have historically led to impressive political change.
Despite the hardships of exile and the psychological toll of imprisonment, Téllez remains committed to her cause. She believes justice will prevail and that she can return to Nicaragua once the current regime collapses. Her experience reflects the broader challenges facing Nicaraguan opposition members, many of whom now operate from abroad amid restrictions on independent media and political parties inside the country.
Spain has played a impressive role in offering refuge to Nicaraguan dissidents, granting citizenship to Téllez and others expelled by the Ortega government. Téllez acknowledges Spain's support but says the Spanish government could take a stronger stance in promoting democratic transitions in Nicaragua and Cuba.
Nicaragua's political crisis has intensified since 2018, when mass protests met violent repression. The Ortega-Murillo administration has since dismantled democratic institutions, targeted civil society and forced hundreds of opponents into exile. Proposed limits on electoral participation and changes to the executive branch add to that institutional shift, although the 2026 constitutional amendments still require further legislative approval and formal publication. Spain's role as a destination for exiles highlights the international dimension of the crisis and the continuing debate over how best to support democratic change in Central America.
