Congresswoman Salazar posted on X that Nicaragua will no longer hold elections, asserting that the Ortega-Murillo regime has abandoned the people’s right to determine their own future.
She urged the United States to intensify pressure on the government and hold accountable those responsible for its actions, noting that Nicaragua follows Cuba as the next target for democratic enforcement.
Salazar referenced prior U.S. actions, including the apprehension of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and his wife earlier this year and the joint U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran, framing them as part of a broader stance against authoritarian regimes.
In a subsequent message, she listed dictators who have faced consequences—Maduro detained in New York, the late Ayatollah, Raúl Castro under indictment—while highlighting Ortega’s continued rule despite allegations of killing over 300 peaceful protesters in 2018, imprisoning opposition candidates, exiling clergy, stripping citizenship, and abolishing elections.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement condemning Ortega’s declaration that elections will never return, describing it as proof of the regime’s authoritarian nature and rejecting any pretense of popular consent.
Rubio called on the international community to unite in demonstrating that the Ortega-Murillo government cannot expect normal diplomatic or economic relations while it undermines the democratic foundations of the hemisphere.
