Nicaraguan opponents rejected this Wednesday the decision of the government of President Daniel Ortega to strip them of their nationality, in what is an unprecedented event in Nicaragua.
In the last 15 days, the Ortega government has taken this action in at least three instances against its critics and opponents. Last week it revoked the nationality of 222 political prisoners released and sent to the United States, and on Wednesday 94 more, including activists, journalists and human rights defenders, who were considered “traitors.” In between, Bishop Rolando Álvarez, in addition to being sentenced to more than 26 years in prison, was also stripped of his nationality.
Those affected have reacted with messages on the networks in which they assure that it is an illegal action on the part of the Ortega government.
The lawyer and former employee of the Judiciary Yader Morazán, one of those stripped of his nationality, this Wednesday indicated on Twitter that the measure as punishment is illegal, since it does not exist in the Nicaraguan Code of Criminal Procedure, and argued that there was not even a court proceedings against you.
On Thursday, one day after the 94 had their nationality revoked, the accusations against these people were reflected in the Judiciary.
The acquisition, loss and recovery of nationality will be regulated by law.
The Nicaraguan Constitution establishes in its article 21 that the acquisition, loss and recovery of nationality are regulated by law, but the ruling party that controls the National Assembly requested a reform to said regulations last week, after releasing more than 200 prisoners politicians who were welcomed in the United States.
With the reform to Article 21, those considered “traitors to the homeland lose their Nicaraguan national status.” The reform was approved in a first legislature but would remain pending approval until January 2024.
According to journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro, one of those affected, the stripping of nationality and the confiscation of assets are strictly prohibited by the Constitution of the Republic.
“The dictators Ortega and Murillo are only reaffirming that for many years Nicaragua ceased to be a society governed by law and the Constitution, in which the law of revenge and hatred prevails against citizens who aspire to live in a free and democratic society,” Chamorro wrote in a tribune.
Lawyer Pablo Cuevas, one of the 94, recalled that Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights literally states that “no citizen can be arbitrarily deprived of their nationality.” This same norm speaks of the right to property.
“Both of my rights were violated by the dictatorship, for the mere fact of strongly denouncing the violations of the law, justice and human rights by the dictatorship,” Cuevas said.
“Consequent to my acting on the correct side of history, I want to make it clear that this abusive and cowardly action by the terrorist government of Daniel and Rosario Murillo does not intimidate me. I feel stronger and more aware that, despite the abusive action, I am still a Nicaraguan,” he stressed.
Several other of those affected expressed their rejection of the measure. “The dictators of Nicaragua, Rosario Murillo and Daniel Ortega, are wrong, they are going to strip me of my nationality with a vulgar writing,” said the priest Edwin Román, one of the 94.
Former vice president and writer Sergio Ramírez wrote on Twitter: “Nicaragua is what I am and everything I have, and that I will never stop being.”
This is the complete list of people declared stateless this Wednesday.
- Javier Ramon Melendez Quiñonez
- Salvador Stadthagen Icaza
- Rosalía del Carmen Gutiérrez Huete de Miller
- Roberto Bendana McEwan
- Eddy Acevedo Sanchez
- Alexa Zamora Arana
- Camilo de Castro Belli
- Roberto Jose Soza Tellez
- Francisco Jose Somarriba Mendoza
- Vicente Martinez Bermudez
- Claudia Leon York
- Luis Fernando Carrion Cruz
- Desiree Guadalupe Elizondo Cabrera
- Hector Ernesto Mairena
- Jesus Adolfo Tefel Amador
- Ana Otilia Quirós Víquez
- Cristian Ernesto Medina Sandino
- Sofia Isabel Montenegro Alarcon
- Azáhalea Isabel Solís Román
- Erick Mauricio Diaz Fernandez
- Juan Enrique Saenz Navarrete
- Edipcia Juliana Dubón Castro
- Dulce Maria Porras Aguilar
- Silvia Nadine Gutierrez Pinto
- Vilma Nunez Ruiz
- Uriel de Jesus Pineda Quinteros
- Guillermo Gonzalo Carrion Maradiaga
- Luciano Rafael Garcia Mejia
- Alvaro Jose Leiva Sanchez
- Juan Francisco Zeledon Montenegro
- Haydee Isabel Castillo Flores
- Monica Salvadora Baltodano Marcenaro
- Monica Augusta López Baltodano
- Julio Cesar Lopez Campos
- Francisca Ramirez Torrez
- Humberto Antonio Belli Pereira
- Gioconda Maria Belli Pereira
- Elvira Auxiliadora Cuadra Lira
- Federico Jose Sacasa Patino
- Mangel Jose Hernandez Rivera
- Carmella Maria Rogers Ambur / Kitty Monterrey
- Ireland Ondina Jerez Barrera
- Eliseo Fabio Nunez Morales
- Norman Jose Caldera Cardenal
- Gerardo José Baltodano Cantarero
- Alvaro Jesus Somoza Urcuyo
- Silvio Jose Baez Ortega
- Berta Adelma Valle Otero
- Rafael Enrique Solis Cerda
- Carlos Adolfo Zeledon Montenegro
- Arthur McFields Tinders
- Yader Alfonso Morazan Flores
- Ligia Ivette Gomez
- Issa Moises Hassan Morales
- Jimmy Alfredo Guevara Hernandez
- Pablo Manuel Martinez Ruiz
- Joao Ismael Maldonado Bermudez
- Marvin Ariel Aguirre Tinoco
- Josué Santiago Alvarez Rojas
- Ricardo Javier Conrado Mojica
- Roberto Jose Alvarez Rojas
- Lenin Rojas Medrano
- Rodolfo Antonio Rojas Arburola
- Oscar Ricardo Rojas Campos
- Pio Humberto Arellano Molina
- Cristian Josué Mendoza Fernández
- Bosco Rene Martinez Martinez
- Hector Armando Morales
- Cristian Rodrigo Fajardo Caballero
- Zayda Yunieth Hernandez
- harving salvador padilla
- Edwin Heriberto Roman Calderon
- Gem Serrano Morales
- Luis Manuel Chavarria Galeano
- Jennifer Tatiana Ortiz Castillo
- Lucia Agustina Pineda Ubau
- Patricia Amanda Orozco Andrade
- Wilfredo Ernesto Miranda Aburto
- Manuel Diaz Morales
- Alvaro Valentin Navarro
- Jose David Quintana Garcia
- Anibal Enrique Toruno Jiron
- Santiago Antonio Aburto Ovando
- Mario Medal
- Roberto Danilo Samcam Ruiz
- Pablo Emilio Cuevas Mendoza
- Juan Carlos Gutierrez Soto
- Danny Ariel Ramirez Ayerdis
- Jorge Leonel Mairena Sanchez
- Sergio Ramirez Mercado
- Carlos Fernando Chamorro Barrios
- Amaru Ruiz German
- Manuel Salvador Orozco Ramirez
- Uriel Antonio Vallejo
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