Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega and his wife are set to assume absolute power after loyalist lawmakers Friday approved a constitutional amendment elevating her to the position of "co-president" and boosting the pair's joint control over the state.

The Nicaraguan parliament, dominated by the ruling Sandinista Front, on Friday approved a constitutional reform that hands more power to President Daniel Ortega as well as the Central American nation’s police and military.

Nicaragua's regime announced dozens of constitutional amendments yesterday that include extending President Daniel Ortega's term without elections. Why it matters: Observers say the changes could sound the death knell for the nation's democracy,