Chile Offers Citizenship to Stateless Nicaraguans Amidst Ortega Regime's Repression

Chile Extends Humanitarian Hand to Stateless Nicaraguans

In a significant humanitarian response, Chile announced its decision to grant citizenship to Nicaraguans who were arbitrarily stripped of their nationality by the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. This initiative, led by President Gabriel Boric, aims to provide international protection and a legal identity to those rendered stateless for political reasons. The offer from Chile follows a similar gesture made by Spain, highlighting a growing international concern over the human rights situation in Nicaragua.

Nicaragua's Crackdown on Dissent

The crisis of statelessness for Nicaraguans escalated in February 2023 when the Ortega-Murillo regime stripped 317 individuals of their nationality, labeling them 'traitors to the homeland.' This action was part of a broader systematic policy of political punishment and repression targeting dissidents, human rights defenders, journalists, academics, and other perceived opponents. An initial group of 222 political prisoners was deported to the United States and simultaneously denationalized on February 9, 2023, followed by an additional 94 political dissidents in exile later that month. Beyond the loss of nationality, many also faced the confiscation of their assets, leading to a state of 'civil death' where their civil, political, social, and property rights were annulled.

Chile's Commitment to Human Rights

On February 21, 2023, the Chilean government formally offered Chilean nationality to the affected Nicaraguans. The Chilean Foreign Ministry stated that it would employ the necessary legal mechanisms to facilitate their residency and acquisition of Chilean nationality, in accordance with constitutional and legal norms. President Boric's administration emphasized that the defense of democracy and human rights, along with international solidarity, are fundamental civilizing standards. Chile has a history of addressing statelessness, having acceded to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness in 2018, demonstrating its commitment to preventing and reducing statelessness.

International Solidarity and the Plight of the Stateless

Chile's offer joins that of Spain, which also extended Spanish nationality to the denationalized Nicaraguans. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares communicated this decision, with Spain utilizing a 'naturalization letter' process to expedite the granting of citizenship and prevent prolonged statelessness. As of July 2024, Spain had naturalized 133 Nicaraguans. Other nations, including Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico, have also expressed willingness to offer nationality or protection to those affected. The United States, for its part, granted temporary protection to the 222 exiles. Statelessness leaves individuals in a precarious position, unable to exercise basic rights such as education, healthcare, legal employment, or even marriage, effectively creating a 'legal non-existence.'