Nicaragua's co-president Daniel Ortega, who has ruled the Central American nation for nearly two decades, has declared that the country will no longer hold elections, prompting sharp criticism from the US State Department. The move deepens international concern over the erosion of democratic norms in Nicaragua, where Ortega governs alongside his wife and co-president Rosario Murillo, and further isolates the socialist-led government from Washington.

The State Department condemned Ortega on Tuesday, describing his declaration ending elections as unacceptable and reaffirming US opposition to authoritarian rule in the region. The article also cites Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado, who framed the situation as part of a wider struggle for freedom across Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, suggesting Washington and regional opposition figures view the three left-led governments as linked authoritarian cases.