Nicaragua reformed its Constitution and made 222 opponents stateless

Through a reform to the Constitution, the regime of Daniel Ortega ordered the withdrawal of nationality from more than 200 political prisoners last week. They were in turn expelled from the country and sent to the United States.

“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 last Thursday, the same day that the opponents were released, details the BBC.

In total there were 222 opponents who were considered traitors to the homeland for the alleged violation of Law 1055: Law for the Defense of People’s Rights to Independence, Sovereignty and Self-determination for Peace.

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The UN Refugee Agency estimates that around 10 million people were considered stateless in 2014, which is why a ten-year plan is underway to reduce this figure.

“The international legal definition of a stateless person is ‘a person who is not recognized by any country as a citizen under its law’. In simple terms, this means that a stateless person does not have the nationality of any country. Some people are born without a state, but others become stateless,” explains UNHCR.

The agency points out that this situation can occur in several cases, such as discrimination against ethnic or religious groups, by gender, the appearance of new states or transfers of territory or a gap in nationality laws.

International law establishes that states they must establish the rules for the acquisition and withdrawal of nationality. In order to reduce the cases, in 1961 a convention was established, to which Ecuador is adhered and which establishes specific obligations related to the prevention and reduction of statelessness.

Article 9 of the Convention establishes that “the contracting states shall not deprive of their nationality any person or any group of persons, for racial, ethnic, religious or political reasons”. Despite being adhered to this international treaty, Nicaragua reformed its Constitution to allow it.

Most countries have among their laws articulated on nationality, whether it is acquired by birth or by naturalization.

Regarding the expulsion of political prisoners, Spain expressed its intention to grant them nationality; The United States also granted them a humanitarian permit to work and live. (YO)