Constitutional reform and the Ortega-Murillo “co-presidency”

In January 2025, a constitutional reform was approved that consolidates a model of a “revolutionary state” and establishes the co-presidency of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, expanding their powers to “coordinate” the other branches of government. This paves the way for a new dynastic dictatorship in Nicaragua.

Human rights: a country without basic guarantees

Human Rights Watch’s 2025 World Report notes that the government intensified forced exile, deprivation of nationality, and the mass closure of NGOs, universities, and media; it is estimated that more than 5,600 NGOs (around 80% of the total) have been outlawed since 2018.

Political prisoners and continued exiles

Human Rights Watch reports that, despite the mass release and expulsion of opposition members in 2023, dozens of people, including indigenous leaders, remain detained for political reasons in 2025.

Furthermore, the government continues to use the concept of “treason against the homeland” to strip critics of their nationality and assets; more than 450 people have been denationalized since 2023.

Clash with the United States: risk of tariffs and CAFTA

The U.S. decided not to remove Nicaragua from CAFTA-DR or impose 100% tariffs, but did apply gradual trade sanctions linked to a special investigation.

From 2026, an extra tariff will be activated that could rise to 15% for certain exports, while products such as coffee, meat, and textiles remain intact for now, although measures could be tightened if there is no real progress in human rights and the rule of law.

Global Organized Crime Index: “Mafia State”

The 2025 Global Organized Crime Index places Nicaragua among the countries with the highest levels of organized crime, highlighting three critical areas: cocaine trafficking, international human trafficking, and state involvement in these activities.

The murder of Roberto Samcam and transnational repression

On June 19, 2025, Nicaraguan ex-military officer and opposition analyst Roberto Samcam was shot dead in the condominium where he lived in Moravia, Costa Rica, by hitmen posing as messengers.

In September, Costa Rican authorities arrested several suspects, and the Prosecutor’s Office pointed to a possible «political background,» while journalistic investigations point to a possible coordination of intelligence structures linked to the Ortega-Murillo regime.

De facto statelessness and mass exile

HRW and regional media documented that more than 450 people have been deprived of their nationality since 2023 and that in 2025, there was an increase in cases of Nicaraguans being prevented from returning to the country or renewing documents, placing them in a situation of de facto statelessness.

EU renews and extends sanctions against Ortega-Murillo circle

In September 2025, the European Union extended until October 2026 the sanctions against 21 senior officials and 3 entities linked to the regime, including Rosario Murillo and several of her children, with asset freezes and travel bans to the European bloc.

New laws that threaten natural and indigenous areas

In 2025, regulations and decrees were approved that facilitate mining, livestock farming, and other resource exploitation in protected areas without prior consultation, which environmental organizations denounce as a direct threat to indigenous territories and reserves such as Bosawás and Indio Maíz.