Daniel Ortega

His Excellency
Daniel Ortega
His Excellency Daniel Ortega
	Ortega in 2024
President of Nicaragua; Co-President of Nicaragua (since 2025)
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 10 January 2007
Vice President	See list Jaime Morales Carazo; (2007–2012); Omar Halleslevens; (2012–2017); Rosario Murillo; (2017–2025);
Preceded by	Enrique Bolaños
	In office; 10 January 1985 – 25 April 1990
Vice President	Sergio Ramírez
Preceded by	Office suspended; Himself (as Coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction)
Succeeded by	Violeta Chamorro
Coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction
	In office; 18 July 1979 – 10 January 1985
Preceded by	Francisco Urcuyo (as Acting President of Nicaragua)
Succeeded by	Himself (as President of Nicaragua)
President
Ceremonial titles
First Gentleman of Nicaragua
	Current
	Assumed role ; 18 February 2025 Serving with Rosario Murillo
President	Rosario Murillo
Preceded by	Rosario Murillo
Second Gentleman of Nicaragua
	In role; 10 January 2017 – 18 February 2025
Vice President	Rosario Murillo
Preceded by	Ligia Alemán
Succeeded by	Role vacant
Personal details
Born	José Daniel Ortega Saavedra; 11 November 1945; La Libertad, Chontales, Nicaragua
Party	FSLN (since 1958)
Spouse	Rosario Murillo (m. 1979)
Children	8, including Juan
Relatives	Humberto Ortega (brother); Camilo Ortega (brother); Xiomara Blandino (daughter-in-law)
Awards	Al-Gaddafi International Prize for Human Rights
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Nicaragua
Branch/service	FSLN; Nicaraguan Army;
Years of service	1963–1967; 1975–1979; 1979–1990; 2007–present;
Rank	Commander-in-chief (1978–present);
Battles/wars	Nicaraguan Revolution

José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (/ɔːrˈteɪɡə/ or-TAY-gə; Spanish: [daˈnjel oɾˈteɣa]; born 11 November 1945) is a Nicaraguan politician, revolutionary, and former guerrilla fighter who, under various titles, has been the leader of Nicaragua since 2007 and previously from 1979 to 1990. He first came to power as the coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction from 1979 to 1985, and then served as president of Nicaragua from 1985 until 1990. He reassumed the presidency in 2007 and has served alongside his wife Rosario Murillo as co-president since February 2025. Ortega has been described as an authoritarian leader and has invited comparisons to Anastasio Somoza. Multiple media outlets and politicians in the international community have referred to him and his wife as dictators. In July 2026, Ortega declared an end to elections in Nicaragua.

Ortega came to prominence with the overthrow and exile of US-backed dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle in 1979 during the Nicaraguan Revolution. As a leader in the Sandinista National Liberation Front (Spanish: Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, FSLN) Ortega became leader of the ruling Junta of National Reconstruction. A Marxist–Leninist, Ortega pursued a program of nationalization, land reform, wealth redistribution, and literacy programs during his first period in office. Ortega's government was responsible for the forced displacement of 10,000 indigenous people. In 1984, Ortega won Nicaragua's presidential election with over 60% of the vote as the FSLN's candidate. During his first term, he implemented policies to achieve leftist reforms across Nicaragua. Throughout the 1980s, Ortega's government faced a rebellion by US-backed rebels, known as the Contras. After a presidency marred by conflict and economic collapse, Ortega was defeated in the 1990 general election by Violeta Chamorro.

Ortega was an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 1996 and 2001 but won the 2006 general election. In office, he allied with fellow Latin American socialists. His second administration abandoned most of his earlier leftist principles, alienating many of his former revolutionary allies. Under his tenure, Nicaragua has experienced democratic backsliding. In June 2018, organizations such as Amnesty International and the Organization of American States reported that Ortega had engaged in a violent oppression campaign against anti-government protests. The violent crackdown and subsequent constriction of civil liberties have led to waves of emigration to neighboring Costa Rica, with more than 30,000 Nicaraguans filing for asylum in that country.

His government jailed many potential rival candidates in the 2021 general election, including Cristiana Chamorro Barrios. Ortega's government also imprisoned other opponents, such as former allies Dora María Téllez and Hugo Torres Jiménez. In August 2021, Nicaragua cancelled the operating permits of six US and European NGOs. Many critics of the Ortega government, including opposition leaders, journalists and members of civil society, fled the country in mid-2021. In his fourth term, Ortega ordered the closure of several NGOs, universities, and newspapers, and resumed his repression of the Catholic Church after a brief rapprochement, imprisoning prelate Rolando José Álvarez Lagos.