Reports from international news agencies and human rights organizations

Nicaragua's Parliament Unanimously Approves Reforms Making Ortega and Murillo 'Co-Presidents', Extending Term

Nov 22, 2024, 05:02 PM

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega has proposed and secured unanimous parliamentary approval for a partial constitutional reform that extends the presidential term from five to six years and elevates his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, to the position of 'co-president.' The Nicaraguan Parliament, dominated by Ortega's Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), approved the reforms unanimously in the first legislature. The amendments grant the executive branch increased coordination over all three branches of government, effectively giving Ortega and Murillo control of the legislative, judicial, and executive powers. The reforms also introduce the formation of a 'voluntary police' force to support the National Police and aim to establish a 'revolutionary' and 'socialist' regime. The executive will have supervisory roles over the media and the Church. The reforms have been criticized by opposition groups, who fear the changes will turn Nicaragua into a dictatorship akin to North Korea. The Organization of American States (OAS), the United Nations, and the United States have condemned the reforms, stating that they undermine democratic processes and could exacerbate human rights crises in the country.