US urges isolating Nicaragua after Ortega vows to end elections

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for the international community to isolate Nicaragua following President Daniel Ortega's declaration that his government would cease holding elections. Rubio stated that Ortega's pledge "lays bare their true authoritarian nature" and that Nicaragua cannot expect "business as usual" with other nations while rejecting democratic rule.

Rubio added that Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, "have abandoned even the pretense of popular consent." The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, in a separate statement, urged "hemispheric partners" to join the U.S. in working to ensure the Nicaraguan people can choose a future free from tyranny.

Ortega made the pledge to end elections in a speech on Sunday, stressing this would block any U.S.-backed movements from taking power. "There won't be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power," Ortega said. Ortega, 80, has held power continuously since 2007. His wife was named co-president under constitutional reforms last year that also extended the presidential term to six years. In recent years, Ortega has suppressed opposition in the Central American country by jailing dissenters and sending politicians into exile.