The 2006 election of Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega began a period of democratic deterioration marked by the consolidation of all branches of government under his party’s control, the limitation of fundamental freedoms, and unchecked corruption in government. In 2018, state forces, with the aid of informally allied armed groups, responded to a mass antigovernment movement with violence and repression. The rule of law collapsed as the government moved to put down the movement, with rights monitors reporting killings, extrajudicial detentions, disappearances, and torture. Since then, Ortega’s regime has consolidated its power by engaging in surveillance, curtailing press freedoms, arresting political opponents, sending opposing voices into exile, and stripping away their citizenship.

• In January, the National Assembly unanimously approved constitutional reforms that granted expansive powers to the executive branch. The reforms stipulated that the presidency “coordinates” legislative, judicial, electoral, and oversight bodies, as well as the national police. The package made President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, “copresidents,” and extended their terms to six years from five previously, allowing them to remain in office until January 2028. The changes prompted criticism from the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS), the United States, the European Parliament, and Nicaraguan dissidents.
• The Ortega-Murillo regime continued to assert control over media, civil society, and academia. In March, the independent outlet El Confidencial reported that the regime had shut down or confiscated at least 61 national media outlets since 2007, had stripped 25 journalists of their citizenship, forced 283 into exile, and had imprisoned 15, 4 of whom remained in detention. The regime had additionally rescinded the legal status of more than 5,670 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) since 2018, according to government documents released during the year. In May, the regime closed the Consejo Nacional de Evaluación y Acreditación, which was responsible for accrediting universities, and passed its functions to a new office led by a government loyalist.
• Authorities continued to crack down on religious freedom including through surveillance of clergy, the confiscation of church properties, and prohibition of religious processions, including Easter processions, which were effectively banned during the year. In September, the NGO Nicaragua Never Again reported that the regime had expelled at least 261 religious figures and closed 1,294 religious organizations since 2018.
• The NGO Monitoreo Azul y Blanco reported in February that 349 Nicaraguans had experienced “migratory repression” between January 2024 and February 2025—meaning they had been expelled, denied passport renewal, or prohibited from leaving the country. In May, the National Assembly voted to ban dual citizenship.
• In August, the National Assembly passed the Border Territory Law, which designated all territory, buildings, and bodies of water located within 15 kilometers (9 miles) of the country’s borders as state property. Analysts said the law revoked legal protections for Indigenous lands and other protected areas.

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2026 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see last year’s full report.