President of the National Assembly, Gustavo Porras: The Nicaraguan Constitution "ratifies its position against attempts at interference"
The reforms to the Nicaraguan Constitution propose a new legal order for the defense of the sovereignty of this Central American territory, in line with the anti-imperialist struggle initiated by General Augusto C. Sandino (1895-1934), the president of the National Assembly, Gustavo Porras, said in an interview with Sputnik.
The changes to the country's fundamental law reflect the evolution of the "revolutionary model" that is developing in Nicaragua in the face of interference by North American imperialism and European colonialism, reissued in the failed coup of 2018, according to Porras.
“What it confirms is the position of Nicaraguans in the face of attempts at intervention and attempts to take away our sovereignty,” argued the legislator in reference to the history of struggles against Spanish colonialism, the occupation of the United States in recent centuries and current claims, through funding to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other actors.
From April to June 2018, Nicaragua suffered an attempted coup d'état that left nearly 300 civilians and police officers killed, as well as damages exceeding 28 billion dollars.
Financing the coup
The Nicaraguan government then accused private sector leaders, NGOs and Catholic bishops of receiving funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and European Union bodies to finance the coup.
“In this sense, it is clear that the defeat that the Yankees suffered again in 2018, with the attempted coup d'état, is sealed with this Constitution; but the entire history of the Nicaraguan people is a permanent history of struggle for this construction of a free, sovereign, independent and revolutionary homeland, and that is what this Constitution means,” Porras reaffirmed.
The new constitutional basis ratifies as “traitors to the homeland” any citizen of this country who participates in criminal actions against the State.
"Here the Constitution makes it clear and declares that anyone who attacks it, its principles, its proposals, is a traitor to the country and in this way, it is clear that we will not allow it to happen again," declared the Sandinista deputy.
History of sovereign defense
He recalled that Nicaragua has a deep-rooted defense of its sovereignty that reached the International Court of Justice in The Hague, due to the aggression financed by the United States against the Sandinista Popular Revolution (1979-1990), which caused more than 50,000 deaths and more than 17 billion dollars in damages.
For the head of the legislature of this country, the current threats of US expansionism against nations are the same demands of US domination against Nicaragua in its contemporary history.
“What we are seeing, seeing President [Donald] Trump with that attitude and with those actions, does not surprise us, that is the true face of imperialism. It is clearer, that is the face of interventionism, of imperialism, of the attack on human rights, of the attack on humanity. The Constitution allows us to confront [that] situation, but it is not surprising, so that face that imperialism is putting on, is its true face and we know it,” Porras said.
On January 30, the National Assembly completed the full approval of the Partial Law of Reforms to the Political Constitution of the Republic of Nicaragua in the second legislature, with the support of the 91 legislators that make up Parliament.
"People power"
This Constitution defines Nicaragua as a revolutionary state in which “the power of the country resides and is exercised by the people,” with the leading participation of women in all political spheres in gender equality.
In this sense, parity between men and women is established from the Presidency of the Republic, with the figure of the co-president and the co-president of this nation, exercised from now on by the presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, who will be able to appoint their vice presidents.
In addition, the new constitution extends the presidential, legislative and municipal election period from five to six years, and makes the Presidency the rector of the Electoral, Judicial and Legislative bodies.
According to the new constitution, Nicaraguans have the right to “free, quality health and education,” and it also guarantees access to culture, sports and recreation; to food and nutritional security; access to basic services, such as drinking water, sanitation and energy; to decent and safe housing, and to the promotion of the creative economy.”
Rights ratified
In this regard, the President of the Legislature asserted that all the rights ratified in the reform were institutionalized by the first Sandinista administration of the 1979 Revolution; the same rights were restored in 2007, with the election of President Daniel Ortega, after being denied to the population by the neoliberalism that governed between 1990 and 2006.
“That is why we have clearly established that this is a revolutionary State. Now, this is a concept that has great repercussions on the Nicaraguan people (…) from this stage, the revolutionary model has to evolve over the coming years, but there is no turning back,” he added.
This institutional change thus strengthens the revolutionary model based on the “person, family and community” on which the strategy to fight poverty the Sandinista administration promotes. This according to Porras, consolidates the economic growth that was resumed after the failed coup.
“They tried to carry out a coup d'état, that path of growth fell and today we are recovering that path of growth (…) in such a way that this is what will guarantee that we defeat poverty with more hospitals, with more infrastructure, with roads, with all the necessary development that is generated and with the brotherhood and friendship of the peoples who support each other with mutual respect,” said Porras.
In this new Political Constitution, Nicaragua resumes its proposal of founding “Latin Americanism and the action of the great Caribbean homeland” to achieve a new multipolar world order, concluded the president of the Parliament of this Central American country.
