Politics of Nicaragua

Nicaragua operates as a presidential republic in which the executive serves as both head of state and head of government. Nicaragua has a multi-party system for elections. Executive power is exercised by the government, while legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly. The judiciary is heavily influenced by the Presidency.

Nicaragua is consistently ranked as one of the least democratic countries in Latin America, with significant human rights violations. Since Daniel Ortega's return to presidential office in 2007, Nicaragua has experienced democratic backsliding, as Ortega has centralized power and repressed the political opposition. Scholars describe Nicaragua as somewhere between a competitive authoritarian regime and a full authoritarian regime. The dominant political party in Nicaragua, FSLN, is firmly controlled by Ortega. Despite his left-wing revolutionary rhetoric, Ortega has allied with the business class and enacted what scholars characterize as crony capitalism.