Washington, D.C., July 21, 2026.– The Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) expresses its strongest rejection of the statements made by Daniel Ortega on July 19, in which he stated that there will be no elections in Nicaragua again and announced the intention to promote legislative reforms to make that decision a permanent provision of the legal system.

Such statements are aggravated by the announcement of the National Assembly, on Tuesday, July 21, that it will hold special sessions with the Supreme Electoral Council to “ensure the constitutional, legal and formal steps” that support these reforms, evidencing the use of institutions controlled by the regime to legitimize the elimination of one of the fundamental pillars of any democracy.

Although the international community, human rights organizations and civil society have documented for years the progressive dismantling of democratic institutions in Nicaragua, these declarations represent a step forward in the project to install a dynasty in Nicaragua since it seeks to eliminate any possibility of political alternation, citizen participation and the exercise of popular sovereignty. It is an open confession of the dictatorial nature of the regime and its determination to perpetuate itself indefinitely in power.

The Inter-American Democratic Charter states that “the peoples of the Americas have the right to democracy, and their governments have the obligation to promote and defend it.” It also provides that “democracy is essential for the social, political, and economic development of the peoples of the Americas.”

The seriousness of these statements lies not only in the rejection of a fundamental principle of any democratic society, but also in what they reveal about the political project that is intended to continue to be imposed on the country despite the opposition of the popular will. While the regime continues to use the discourse of “peace” as a supposed justification for its actions, its words show a conception incompatible with human rights and democracy. Under this logic, peace does not mean plural coexistence, respect for freedoms and citizen participation, but the imposition of a single political vision, the elimination of critical voices, the absence of institutional controls and the absolute control of the entire society, subjecting it to the petty interests of a power that has not enjoyed the favor of the electorate for years, as demonstrated by the civic protests of 2018 when thousands of Nicaraguans took to the streets. streets to demand the restoration of democracy and respect for human rights.

Ortega’s statements confirm the consolidation of a system based on the absolute concentration of power, the non-existence of a true separation of powers, the persecution of opponents and human rights defenders, the closure of civic space, censorship and silencing of the independent press, as well as surveillance and harassment against any expression of dissent.

In addition, they constitute a gross violation of Nicaragua’s international obligations in the field of human rights and democratic principles. The right of every person to participate in the conduct of public affairs, to elect and be elected through genuine and periodic elections, and to freely express his opinions, cannot be suppressed by the will of the co-dictators Ortega and Murillo.

The attempt to definitively eliminate the elections and try to shield that decision through legal reforms implies subjecting current and future generations of Nicaraguans to a political model based on repression, exclusion and the denial of fundamental rights. Far from guaranteeing stability or peace, it deepens the human rights crisis that the country is going through, condemns the country to poverty and further closes the avenues for a democratic, peaceful solution that respects human dignity.

Race and Equality reiterates its solidarity with the Nicaraguan people and calls on the international community, regional and international human rights mechanisms, and States committed to democracy to maintain and strengthen efforts to demand respect for fundamental rights, the restoration of public freedoms, and the restoration of democracy in Nicaragua by guaranteeing free and fair elections and creating the right conditions for the development of the Nicaraguan community.  necessary to guarantee that the popular will is respected.