Weekly Report - 23 July 2026 (WR-26-29)

As is the case every year, Nicaragua’s ruling Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) held celebrations to mark the 19 July anniversary of the overthrow of the Somoza dictatorship (1936-1979) - a regime which bears an increasing resemblance to the government led by authoritarian co-presidents Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo. At the most recent such celebrations, Ortega appeared to have come full circle, announcing that Nicaragua will no longer hold elections that could allow the opposition to “grab the government, grab the power”.