Statement By Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez On Daniel Ortega’s Decision To Eliminate Elections In Nicaragua

The communist and socialist dictator Daniel Ortega has finally admitted what the people of Nicaragua and the free world have known for years: his regime is not a democracy. By announcing that Nicaragua will no longer hold real elections because the opposition could win, he has openly confirmed that his only objective is to remain in power indefinitely, regardless of the will of the Nicaraguan people.

For years, Ortega has followed the same authoritarian model used by the communist dictatorship in Cuba and the socialist dictatorship in Venezuela. His regime has imprisoned political opponents, censored the independent press, persecuted the Catholic Church, stripped citizens of their fundamental freedoms, and forced countless Nicaraguans into exile. Now, by eliminating meaningful elections, he has removed the last illusion that Nicaragua remains a democratic nation.

Let there be no confusion: when a dictator abolishes free elections because he fears defeat, he is admitting that his regime survives only through repression, intimidation, and the denial of basic human rights. Governments that fear the ballot box have no democratic legitimacy.

The international community must condemn this latest assault on democracy without hesitation. Remaining silent in the face of tyranny only encourages dictators to continue violating the rights and freedoms of their people.

The people of Nicaragua deserve liberty, free and fair elections, the rule of law, and the opportunity to determine their own future without fear.

Communist and socialist dictatorships may imprison people, censor the truth, and steal elections, but they will never extinguish the human desire for freedom. Nicaragua will be free. Cuba will be free. Venezuela will be free.

Dariel Fernandez

Miami-Dade County Tax Collector