Nicaragua
In early 2026, Nicaragua is undergoing what United Nations experts describe as a "final blow to the rule of law." The government, led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, has shifted from suppressing active protests to institutionalizing a permanent state of repression through radical constitutional and legal changes.
1. Constitutional Manipulation & "Dynastic" Power
A sweeping constitutional overhaul that entered into force in February 2025 and was further amended in January 2026 has fundamentally altered the state:
The "Co-Presidency": The reform officially established Rosario Murillo (the President's wife) as "Co-President," effectively formalizing a dynastic succession and consolidating total executive control over all other branches of government.
Elimination of Dual Citizenship: In January 2026, the National Assembly ratified a measure to eliminate dual citizenship. This is being used as a tool of "transnational repression," allowing the state to sever the legal ties of exiled dissidents to their home country.
Removal of Rights: The 2025 Constitution removed the explicit prohibition of torture and subordinated international human rights treaties to domestic authoritarian norms.
2. Weaponized Statelessness & Transnational Repression
The government has moved its campaign against dissenters beyond its physical borders:
Mass Denationalization: Hundreds of activists, journalists, and political leaders have been stripped of their nationality, rendered stateless, and had their assets seized.
"Hunting" Journalists: Reports from early 2026 indicate that the government is actively using covert tactics to pressure exiled journalists in neighboring Costa Rica, attempting to turn them into informants through threats against family members still in Nicaragua.
Interpol Abuse: UN experts warned in late 2025 that the regime is misusing Interpol "Red Notices" and anti-money laundering frameworks to freeze the bank accounts of opponents living abroad.
3. Systematic Religious Persecution
The Catholic Church and evangelical groups are currently viewed as the primary "destabilizing agents" in the country.
Silencing the Pulpit: As of 2026, over 300 priests and nuns have been forced to leave the country or stop their pastoral ministry. Those who remain are under "suffocating surveillance," with police reportedly demanding weekly reports on their activities and checking their cellphones.
Asset Seizures: Between 2022 and late 2025, the state confiscated at least 39 properties belonging to the Catholic Church, including universities and charities, repurposing them for government use.
Imprisonment: While many high-profile religious figures have been exiled, others remain in "prolonged incommunicado detention," which UN experts categorize as enforced disappearance.
4. The Total Erasure of Civil Society
The space for independent organization in Nicaragua has almost completely vanished.
NGO Closures: Since 2018, the government has forcibly cancelled the legal status of over 5,400 non-profit organizations—roughly 80% of all NGOs that existed in the country.
Educational Control: Public and private universities have been shut down and replaced with state-run institutions that enforce political loyalty among students and staff.
Digital Surveillance: A September 2024 reform allows the National Police to request digital information (call logs, geolocation, text messages) from telecommunications companies without a court order.
5. Indigenous & Afro-descendant Rights
Violence and displacement continue in the Autonomous Regions of the Caribbean Coast.
Land Invasions: Indigenous communities face constant threats from "settlers" (colonos) involved in illegal logging, mining, and cattle ranching, often with the tacit approval of local authorities.
Precautionary Measures: In February 2026, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued emergency measures for several Indigenous prisoners, citing "substandard conditions" and reprisals for speaking their native languages in jail.