Spain has already naturalized 143 Nicaraguans stripped of their nationality by Ortega

Eduardo González The Spanish Government has just granted Spanish nationality to ten more Nicaraguans expelled and stripped of their citizenship by the Daniel Ortega regime, bringing the number of people benefiting from this measure between May 2023 and October 2024 to 143. On the proposal of the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts, Félix Bolaños, the Council of Ministers last Tuesday granted these ten people Spanish nationality by letter of naturalization, an exceptional and much faster procedure than the usual channels and which prevents their statelessness from being prolonged for a long time. On February 9, 2023, the Managua government expelled 222 opponents (diplomats, former state officials, human rights defenders, Sandinista dissidents, opponents, journalists, academics, students, businessmen and merchants) accused of treason from the country to the United States and stripped them of their nationality. After learning of the Ortega regime's decision, Pedro Sánchez's government offered to grant Spanish nationality to those declared "stateless" by the Nicaraguan regime. A week later, Daniel Ortega decreed the withdrawal of nationality and the seizure of their assets from another 94 opponents for the same reasons, after which the Spanish government extended its offer to this second group. In addition to Spain, the governments of Chile, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico have also offered nationality to the "stateless" of Nicaragua. On September 5, the Supreme Court of Justice ordered “the loss of Nicaraguan nationality” and the confiscation of all their assets against another 135 political prisoners exiled to Guatemala for promoting “violence, hatred, terrorism and economic destabilization, altering peace, security and the constitutional order.” Almost a month later, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, announced before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress of Deputies that the granting of Spanish nationality would be extended to this new group. Among the 143 naturalized by Spain are diplomats, former state officials, human rights defenders, Sandinista dissidents, opponents, journalists, academics, students, businessmen, merchants and such important figures as Cristiana Chamorro, presidential candidate in the 2021 elections; the journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro Barrios, founder of the local newspaper ‘Confidencial’ and son of former president Violeta Chamorro; the sociologist Gertrudis Guerrero, wife of the exiled Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramírez; or the writer Gioconda Belli. On this occasion, the list includes the filmmaker Leonor Zúniga, Alejandro Schutze Ramírez and Carlos Fernando Schutze Ramírez, grandchildren of Sergio Ramírez; Danny Ariel Ramírez Ayérdiz, executive secretary of the Inter-American Center for Legal Assistance on Human Rights (Calidh) and whose name appeared among the 94 Nicaraguans denationalized in February 2023; and six other people: Claudia Elena Vargas Medal (collaborator of the Court of Conscience that investigates crimes against humanity by the regime in Nicaragua), Greta María Fajardo Arróliga (National Director of Human Rights), José Napoleón López Villalta, Luciana López Ramírez, María Gertrudis Ramírez Guerrero and Leana María Lovo Moncada.

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