Nicaragua’s Judiciary Under Ortega-Murillo Regime Faces Deepening Control
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Nicaragua's Judiciary Under Ortega-Murillo Regime Faces Deepening Control
- Nicaragua's judicial system has undergone significant changes, with the Supreme Court experiencing a major overhaul that removed nine of its ten justices by September 2026.
- This restructuring, which began with a purge of the judiciary in October 2023, has further centralized political and administrative control under President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo.
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Nicaragua’s judiciary has been subject to increasing control by the government of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, particularly evident in a sweeping overhaul of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ). By September 2026, nine of the ten justices previously serving on the CSJ had been removed, leaving only one remaining from the court’s prior lineup. This restructuring followed a purge of the judiciary that began in October 2023, which saw the dismissal of at least 900 judges and officials, including then-CSJ president Alba Luz Ramos.
The changes are part of broader constitutional reforms approved in 2025 that established Murillo as co-president and further subordinated state institutions, including the judiciary, to the presidency. These reforms have expanded governmental influence, extended presidential terms to six years, and allowed for the appointment of multiple vice presidents. Critics describe these actions as a power grab, with the government intensifying repressive activities and providing legal cover for human rights violations, such as revoking the citizenship of perceived “traitors.”
Further weakening judicial independence, the government eliminated the minimum 4% of the state budget legally allocated to the justice system in January 2024. In May 2025, a police circular subordinated judges to the National Police, requiring police approval for court orders involving seizures and confiscations of assets, a move lawyers in exile argue openly violates Nicaragua’s Constitution. Since 2018, Nicaragua has faced rampant due process violations, with politically motivated arrests and detentions, and political prisoners reportedly enduring severe abuses. The government has also shuttered thousands of NGOs and numerous media outlets and universities, further restricting civic space and freedom of expression.