The U.S. Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs criticized Nicaragua's Ortega-Murillo regime on January 11, 2026, during the three-hour period ending at 3:15 a.m. UTC, stating it marked 19 years since Daniel Ortega's 2006 election meant to be a five-year democratic term, according to a post on X. In the post by @WHAAsstSecty, the official described the regime as a "brutal Murillo–Ortega dictatorship" and an "illegitimate dynasty," noting that Nicaraguans voted for a president in 2006, not a lifetime rule. The statement highlighted that rewriting the constitution and crushing dissent will not erase Nicaraguans' aspirations to live free from tyranny. The criticism addresses the extension of power beyond the original five-year term elected in 2006, as stated in the X post shared within the reporting window from 12:15 a.m. to 3:15 a.m. UTC on January 11.
