Nicaragua’s Ortega proposes reform to make him and his wife ‘copresidents’

Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega is proposing a constitutional reform that would officially make him and his wife, current Vice President Rosario Murillo, “copresidents” of the Central American nation. The proposal, seen by The Associated Press, also seeks to extend the presidential term to six years from five. The proposals come amid an ongoing crackdown by the Ortega government, which escalated following mass social protests that the government violently repressed. Nicaragua’s government has imprisoned adversaries, religious leaders, journalists and more, then exiled them, stripping hundreds of their Nicaraguan citizenship and possessions. Since 2018, it has shuttered more than 5,000 organizations, largely religious, and forced thousands to flee the country.