What is the law that Daniel Ortega changed to expel the ‘traitors’ from Nicaragua and take away their citizenship

The release of 222 political prisoners from Nicaragua and their “deportation” to the United States It was a maneuver that the president Daniel Ortega achieved in a single day. The process consisted of reforming the Constitution to define “traitors” and stripping them of their citizenship, after having ordered the release and transfer of opponents to Washington.

“The acquisition, loss and recovery of nationality will be regulated by law. The traitors to the homeland lose the quality of Nicaraguan national”, mentions the article 21 of the Constitutiona novelty registered this Thursday, the same day that the opponents were released, details the BBC.

According to the justification of the reform, the opponents are considered “traitors to the homeland” for the alleged violation of Law 1055: Law for the Defense of the Rights of the People to Independence, Sovereignty and Self-determination for Peace.

This reform was approved with 89 votes in an “emergency session”, which consisted of modifying the previously mentioned article 21. This establishes that people sentenced for violating Law 1055 “will lose their nationality.”

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The 222 political prisoners, whose names are on a list published by La Prensa de Nicaragua, were accused of “commit acts that undermine the independence, sovereignty and self-determination of the people; for inciting violence, terrorism and economic destabilization”.

In other words, many of them were detained and deprived of their liberty for a alleged planning of a coup in Nicaraguabefore the elections in which Daniel Ortega was re-elected for the fourth time in a row, with his wife as his vice president. Election day, at the end of 2021, was considered fraudulent by the international community.

In the announcement of the release, the Nicaraguan authorities indicated that the former political prisoners they are “perpetually disqualified from exercising public office”as well as to exercise positions of popular election.

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Daniel Ortega spoke this Thursday on a national channel, where he assured that there was no “negotiation” with the US. for the release of prisoners.

“When they came to ask, what interests did we have? None. Let them take them away. That’s all. In other words, it was not about negotiating. Here there has been no negotiation. This should be clear. Because the citizenship of the country, the dignity of the homeland is not negotiated,” said Ortega.

“The United States facilitated the transportation of these people once they are released in Nicaragua and they will receive a permit to remain in the country for two years for humanitarian reasons,” said the US State Department. (YO)