PULSE NEWS MEXICO

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) — a diehard proponent of all things and all governments leftist — surprised his followers on Wednesday, Feb. 22, by offering political asylum and Mexican nationality to all those who have been persecuted by the leftist and increasingly authoritarian government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega.

During his daily press conference Wednesday, López Obrador said that he had told his Nicaraguan counterpart in a letter that he was concerned about the treatment of political prisoners in that country and offered to receive them in Mexico on humanitarian grounds.

The Ortega regime, which has imprisoned hundreds of dissidents in recent weeks, including a Catholic bishop who was sentenced to 26 years, has gained international condemnation for it increasingly autocratic measures.

“Mexico’s commitment has always been to open its doors to those who consider it essential for security and protection, beyond ideologies or political positions,” AMLO said.

He then conditioned the offer by saying, “but I want to make it clear  that at no time would I lend myself to being used in a campaign against Nicaragua and its government.”

In Nicaragua, political opponents, human rights defenders, intellectuals, writers, journalists and members of civil society in general have been stripped of their national status, and some have been expatriated to the United States.

Given this, AMLO said that nationality should not be lost by decree.

He added that, so far, he has not received a response from the Ortega regime.