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Akbar Novruz

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Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has declared that the country will no longer hold elections, saying political forces backed by the United States would never again be allowed to take power, AzerNEWS reports.

Speaking in his first public appearance in two months, the 80-year-old leader said there would be "no more elections" in Nicaragua in which opponents could "seize power and control the government."

"There will be no more elections here in which they can try to seize power and control the government. The days when parties that rely on the support of the Yankees and the Somozas can return to power are over and will never return," Ortega said, referring to supporters of former President Anastasio Somoza, who was overthrown in 1979.

Ortega also announced that his government, together with the National Assembly, would introduce a package of laws aimed at preventing what he described as "coup supporters and traitors" from returning to power.

Ortega has governed Nicaragua since 2007, having previously served as president from 1979 to 1990. His current term is due to expire next year.

The country's most recent presidential election was held in 2021 after several prominent opposition figures and business leaders were arrested. International observers and human rights organizations criticized the vote as neither free nor fair, while opposition political activity remains effectively prohibited.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has described Ortega's government as a dictatorship. Washington has imposed sanctions on more than 2,350 Nicaraguan officials and their family members.