2009年，奥尔特加总统的修宪主张得到最高法院的批准。这为他在2011年实现连任扫清了法律障碍，但也招致反对党的强烈抨击。2009年，受全球金融危机的影响，尼加拉瓜经济在连续15年保持增长之后首次出现负增长，国外需求锐减，侨汇收入和外国直接投资下滑，国内投资大幅度减少，形势不容乐观。政府通过采取“零饥饿”运动等一系列社会计划使贫困问题得到缓解；国内经济衰退使社会治安状况出现恶化。尼加拉瓜加强与中美洲国家及委内瑞拉的关系，与美国的关系仍然较紧张。
The Supreme Court’s approval of President Ortega’s constitutional reform bill paved the way for him to stay in office and also ignited strong critics from the opposition. As a result of negative impacts of the global financial crisis，the country’s economy reported negative growth rate for the first time during the past 15 years，as domestic demand dropped，remittance and FDI decreased and domestic investment shrank. In face of such a situation hardly to be optimistic，the government launched series of social plans，the Zero Famine Plan （Plan Hambre Cero） included，to mitigate poverty. Economic recession was translated also into deteriorating public security. During the year，Nicaragua strengthened its ties with Central American countries. Its relations with the US were all but easy.
