Although we are only getting started, we aim to progressively extend our coverage of countries around the world.
2.5
Full democracyFlawed democracyHybrid regimeAuthoritarian regime
37.09
GoodSatisfactoryProblematicDifficultVery Serious
The election of Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega in 2006 began a period of democratic deterioration marked by the consolidation of all branches of government under his party’s control, the limitation of fundamental freedoms, and unchecked corruption in government. In 2018, state forces, with the aid of informally allied armed groups, responded to a mass antigovernment movement with violence and repression. The rule of law collapsed as the government moved to put down the movement, with rights monitors reporting killings, extrajudicial detentions, disappearances, and torture. Since then, antigovernment activists report surveillance and monitoring, and Ortega has consolidated his power with sweeping arrests of his political opponents.
Internet freedom declined in Nicaragua amid a November 2021 electoral period characterized by a harsh clampdown on opposition figures, dissenting voices, and independent journalists. The government used recently passed legislation, like the 2020 Special Cybercrimes Law, to imprison dissidents for their critical online speech, including in relation to the election; such laws have led users to increasingly self-censor and to opt for anonymity when politically expressing themselves online. Social media accounts belonging to independent outlets continued to fall victim to hacking, and reports released during the coverage period provided further evidence of a state-run online influence campaign spanning multiple platforms.
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the largest country in Central America,
bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
Nicaragua is a presidential republic, in which the President of Nicaragua is both head of state and head of government,
and there is a multi-party system.
When it comes to gender equality in Latin America, Nicaragua ranks high amongst the other countries in the region.
When it came to global rankings regarding gender equality, the World Economic Forum ranked Nicaragua at number twelve in 2015,
while in 2016 it ranked tenth, and in 2017 the country ranked sixth.