Nicaragua put into effect this Wednesday a reform to the Political Constitution that transforms the State, eliminates the balance of powers, and grants total power to the president of the country, Daniel Ortega, and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, who now has the position of “co-president”.

The constitutional reform, which has been harshly criticized by the UN, the Organization of American States (OAS), the United States, the European Parliament and Nicaraguan opponents, came into force after being published in the Official Journal, La Gaceta, and 19 days after being approved in the second and final legislature.

The constitutional norm extends the presidential period from five to six years, establishes the figure of “co-president”, that the Executive “coordinates” the other “organs” of the State, which are no longer called powers, and legalizes statelessness.

In addition, they create the “military forces of patriotic reserve” and the “voluntary police” which, according to the opponents, would be parapolice and paramilitary forces.

The legislators reformed 148 of the 198 articles of the Magna Carta and repealed 37 others, including the one that prohibited the practice of torture.

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The amendment establishes that Nicaragua is a “revolutionary” state, free, sovereign, independent, which recognizes the person, the family and the community as protagonists of “direct democracy”, that the revolutionary power is exercised by the people directly, and the people exercise the power of the State through the Presidency of the Republic that directs the Government and coordinates the legislative, judicial, electoral, accounts’s prosecutor’s office and autonomous entities.

The Presidency will lead the Government and as Head of State will coordinate the legislative, judicial, electoral, control and regional and municipal bodies, according to the rule.

Also that the Presidency is the Supreme Headquarters of the Nicaraguan Army, the National Police and the Ministry of the Interior.
In addition, the Presidency will be composed of a co-president and a co-president, who will exercise their functions for a period of six years, and may appoint vice-presidents without being elected by the popular vote.

It also includes as a national symbol the flag of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), a party in the Government since 2007.
The Presidency may also order the intervention of the Nicaraguan Army in support of the National Police, when the stability of the Republic so requires.

It also creates “the military forces of patriotic reserve, as part of the Nicaraguan Army, which will be voluntarily composed of officers, officials, non-commissioned officers, class, soldiers and sailors who have passed to the honorable condition of retirement or discharge.”

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It also creates the volunteer police as an auxiliary and support body for the National Police, made up of Nicaraguans “who provide their services on a voluntary basis”.

Despite the fact that the figure of volunteer police did not exist in the Constitution, Ortega said in September 2022 that the Army, the Police and the “voluntary police” helped restore “peace” in Nicaragua after the popular revolt that broke out in April 2018 due to controversial social security reforms and that left hundreds dead.

According to humanitarian and opposition agencies, these armed civilians are “parapolice and paramilitary groups” who acted with the acquiescence of the State in the so-called ‘Operation Cleaning’ with which the Government neutralized the demonstrations against them.

The State of Nicaragua will also ensure that the social media are not “subjected” to foreign interests or disseminate false news that violates the rights of Nicaraguans.

Ortega, 79 years old and in power since 2007, has ruled Nicaragua since 2017 together with his wife Murillo amid allegations of electoral fraud or eliminating the opposition to have no competition.

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Ortega has asked to reform the Constitution on 12 occasions since 2007, including one that allows him to be re-elected indefinitely.