By El Latino Newsroom
redaccion@latinocc.com
Nicaragua’s ruling party-controlled Congress has announced plans to eliminate national elections, following President Daniel Ortega’s declaration that the country will no longer hold votes, a move that has sparked strong condemnation from the international community.
In a statement released Tuesday, the National Assembly said it will approve constitutional changes proposed by Ortega that, according to the government, are intended to guarantee the country’s “peace, security and stability.”
The announcement follows Ortega’s remarks over the weekend that “there won’t be anymore elections,” signaling a dramatic shift in the country’s political system and further consolidating the president’s nearly two decades in power alongside his wife and co-President, Rosario Murillo.
The next presidential election had been scheduled for November 2027 after lawmakers extended the presidential term from five to six years through constitutional reforms approved in 2025.
Since violently suppressing anti-government protests in 2018, Ortega’s administration has intensified its crackdown on dissent. Opposition leaders, religious figures and activists have been jailed, while thousands of nongovernmental organizations have been shut down.
Over the years, Nicaragua’s Congress has repeatedly amended the constitution, concentrating power in the executive branch and weakening democratic institutions and political opposition.
The latest announcement drew swift international criticism.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Wednesday that citizens of all political beliefs must be allowed to vote and seek public office, warning that the latest constitutional changes further erode fundamental freedoms, civic space and the rule of law.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the move, saying Ortega and Murillo had exposed “their true authoritarian nature.” Rubio called on the international community to unite in rejecting the Nicaraguan government’s actions and said the country cannot expect normal relations while dismantling democratic principles.
Despite years of sanctions and criticism, the United States has taken few significant new measures against Ortega’s government. Observers have noted the contrast with neighboring El Salvador, where President Nayib Bukele has faced far less criticism from the current U.S. administration despite concerns over democratic backsliding.
Chile
Chile’s Congress approved nearly all of the remaining provisions of President José Antonio Kast’s sweeping tax and economic reform package Tuesday, handing the conservative leader a significant legislative victory as his administration seeks to revive the country’s slowing economy.
The legislation, one of Kast’s signature initiatives since taking office in March, is designed to stimulate private investment, create jobs and reduce Chile’s fiscal deficit.
Among its key provisions, the bill gradually lowers the corporate tax rate for large businesses from 27% to 23%, exempts newly constructed homes from the country’s value-added tax, limits which new universities can join Chile’s free tuition program and allows private companies to seek compensation when environmental disputes delay investment projects.
The Senate approved the measure last week after making several amendments, requiring the lower house to vote again. Lawmakers approved all but one minor provision concerning compensation for municipalities affected by tax breaks. The legislation now awaits a final resolution before it can become law.
The vote comes as Chile faces mounting economic challenges. The country’s economy contracted 0.5% during the first quarter of 2026 after months of sluggish growth, while unemployment climbed to 9.4% between March and May, its highest level since June 2021.
Speaking from the northern city of Copiapó, where he was overseeing the government’s response to severe storms, Kast welcomed the vote and expressed hope lawmakers would quickly resolve the remaining issue.
Finance Minister Jorge Quiroz said the reforms would increase certainty for investors, reduce bureaucratic obstacles and make Chile’s tax system more competitive.
Opposition leaders strongly criticized the package, arguing it disproportionately benefits large corporations and wealthy taxpayers.
Constanza Martínez, president of the left-wing Broad Front coalition, accused Kast of using campaign promises on security, jobs and immigration to advance tax cuts favoring Chile’s wealthiest citizens.
Political analyst Gilberto Aranda said the reforms reflect Kast’s broader effort to restore the market-oriented economic model associated with Chile during the late 1970s and early 1980s, with fewer government interventions than in recent decades.
Venezuela
Venezuelan health authorities have confirmed that three people died after contracting hantavirus, while emphasizing there is no evidence that the disease is spreading from person to person, officials announced Tuesday.
The Ministry of Health said the three confirmed deaths occurred in the eastern state of Anzoátegui, where the cases are considered isolated.
Authorities are also investigating the deaths of two healthcare workers in the southwestern state of Barinas for possible hantavirus infection. Officials said those cases remain under investigation and are not linked to the fatalities reported in Anzoátegui, located roughly 655 kilometers (407 miles) away.
The ministry stressed that the incidents “do not represent a risk to the general community” but announced that additional health personnel would be deployed to both states to strengthen monitoring efforts and help safeguard public health.
The Venezuelan Medical Federation said the three victims in Anzoátegui belonged to the same family and lived in the rural municipality of Miranda, in the southern part of the state.
Hantavirus is a rare viral disease transmitted primarily through contact with infected rodents, including rats and mice, or exposure to their urine, droppings or saliva. Human-to-human transmission is considered extremely uncommon and has only been documented in limited circumstances involving specific virus strains.
Although most infections are rare, severe cases can develop into Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a potentially fatal respiratory illness, or Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which can lead to kidney failure.
Health officials have not released additional details about how the victims were exposed to the virus.
The deaths come as Venezuela continues to recover from two major earthquakes that struck the country’s northern region earlier this month, although authorities noted that neither Anzoátegui nor Barinas was among the areas most heavily affected by the seismic events.
Health authorities continue to monitor the situation while investigating the suspected cases in Barinas.
