Nicaragua amends constitution, grants 'absolute power' to president and his wife

Nicaraguan strongman Daniel Ortega and his wife were granted control of all state powers Thursday under a constitutional amendment ratified by the country's legislature that also elevated her to the position of "co-president."

Ortega, who is under Western sanctions for human rights abuses, had proposed the reform himself, which also lengthens the Central American country's presidential term from five to six years.