Bolivian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America. (AP / Jesus Vargas)
The world has seen this story before: a leader consolidates power, erodes democratic institutions, and silences dissent under the guise of national stability. In Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega has perfected the playbook of dictatorship, and yet, despite mounting evidence of crimes against humanity, the international community has responded with only sanctions and non-threatening condemnations.
The recent United Nations report on the human rights crisis confirms what many feared: Ortega’s regime is no longer teetering on authoritarianism, it has fully embraced it. Political opponents are imprisoned without due process, civil society has been dismantled, independent media has been silenced, and religious institutions have become the latest targets of state repression. Still, the world’s response remains frustratingly weak, allowing Nicaragua to slip further into a dictatorial abyss. It is time for a coordinated, aggressive international strategy to halt Nicaragua’s decline before it becomes another permanent authoritarian state in Latin America. If the world fails to act, Ortega’s model will become a blueprint for autocrats everywhere.
Nicaragua’s 2024 constitutional amendments mark a definitive shift away from democracy. These changes further tighten Ortega’s grip on power, granting the state unchecked authority over institutions and enabling the prosecution of political dissidents in exile. This unprecedented move not only criminalizes opposition but extends Nicaragua’s repression beyond its borders, sending a chilling message to journalists, activists, and former politicians who have sought refuge abroad.
The recent regional elections in March 2024 were another grim milestone in Nicaragua’s democratic collapse. Opposition parties were arbitrarily barred from running, and the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front won 88.7 percent of the vote, a figure reminiscent of the world’s most infamous totalitarian regimes. There were no international observers, no independent media coverage, and no real choice for voters.
Beyond electoral manipulation, Ortega has crushed civil society, shutting down over 3,600 NGOs, universities, and religious organizations since 2018. Women’s rights groups, Indigenous organizations, and Catholic institutions have all been systematically dismantled, ensuring that no independent voices remain. For those who dare to resist, the consequences are severe. The U.N. report documents horrific cases of torture, including sexual violence, electric shocks, and brutal beatings of political prisoners. Detainees are held in inhumane conditions, denied medical care, and often disappear altogether. The Ortega regime has effectively legalized paramilitary rule, recruiting 76,800 so-called volunteer police to enforce state terror.
For years, the U.S. and European Union have responded with sanctions against top Nicaraguan officials, freezing assets and restricting travel. While these measures imposed some financial pressure, they have done little to weaken Ortega’s rule. Sanctions alone will not dismantle a dictatorship that thrives on repression, propaganda, and economic self-sufficiency. The international response to Nicaragua has been half-hearted at best, largely because Ortega has not yet reached the level of crisis that forces global intervention. Unlike Venezuela, which faced mass migration and economic collapse, Nicaragua’s repression has been quieter but no less severe.
The world must recognize that passive condemnation is no longer a viable option. Without a bold, coordinated response, Nicaragua will follow the path of Cuba and North Korea, permanently sealing off democratic change for generations.
One of the greatest failures in responding to Nicaragua’s crisis has been the lack of sustained media attention. Unlike Venezuela or Russia, Nicaragua’s repression rarely dominates international headlines. Ortega has exploited this silence to tighten his hold on power with minimal global scrutiny. Western media must elevate Nicaragua’s crisis, ensuring that Ortega’s abuses are widely reported and consistently discussed. Public awareness creates political pressure, forcing leaders to act rather than issuing occasional statements of concern.
The failure to act against Ortega is not just a tragedy for Nicaragua, it is a warning for the world. Every unchallenged dictatorship emboldens the next one. Ortega’s legal crackdown on exiled dissidents and his weaponization of state institutions could inspire copycat regimes elsewhere, turning state persecution into a globalized authoritarian tool.
This is not inevitable, but stopping it requires action, not just words. The time for passive condemnation is over. Nicaragua’s crisis must be met with urgency, strategy, and unwavering commitment to democracy. The alternative is another nation lost to dictatorship, another group of people condemned to silence, and another failure of the international community to defend the most basic human rights.
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