Colombia Offers Citizenship To Nicaraguans Expelled From Homeland - Foreign Ministry

MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th February, 2023) The Colombian government has condemned the actions of Nicaraguan authorities in accusing over 300 people of state treason and stripping them of their nationality and is ready to grant them Colombia's citizenship, the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

"The Republic of Colombia, led by its Head of State President Gustavo Petro Urrego, has registered with revulsion the measures taken arbitrarily by the head of government of the sister and long-suffering Republic of Nicaragua against citizens of his country whose only crime has been to defend democracy, the right to criticize and universal human rights... Colombian Foreign Ministry seeks to contact those who, having been abused by the intolerant power of Nicaragua, would like to gain Colombian nationality," the ministry said in a statement on the website.

The ministry also called on the "entire world" to react to the issue.

"For now, we ask the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, to request authorization to visit those who are still detained," the ministry added.

Last week, media reported that Nicaragua accused 94 people of state treason and stripped them of the country's citizenship.

In early February, Nicaragua released 222 political prisoners, including political and business leaders, journalists, civil society representatives, and students, accused of threatening the sovereignty and independence of the state, inciting violence and terrorism. All those people have been stripped of their rights, declared traitors of the state, stripped of their nationality, and sent to the United States.

Washington welcomed the release of political prisoners in Nicaragua, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in mid-February, adding that the release marks a constructive step toward addressing human rights abuses in Nicaragua and opens the door to further dialogue between the US and Nicaragua regarding "issues of concern."

Early this week, the authorities of Argentina and Chile expressed their readiness to provide over 300 Nicaraguans with the possibility to live in their countries. Recently, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador made a statement about the country's readiness to host the expelled Nicaraguan opposition activists in Mexico while refraining from criticizing Managua.