Nicaraguan National Assembly passes a law that, according to musician Carlos Mejía Godoy, confiscates his work | CNN

Mejía Godoy: There may be a democratic way out in Nicaragua 2:37

(CNN Spanish) -

The National Assembly approved this Friday a law that declares the symbols of the Defense Army of National Sovereignty (EDSN) as Intangible Heritage of the Nation.

The EDSN was organized and led by Augusto Cesar Sandino, and was made up of youth, peasants, and workers who opposed the US military occupation in the 1920s and 1930s.

The legislation, which will be in force from its next publication in La Gaceta, the official newspaper, is considered confiscatory by the Nicaraguan musician Carlos Mejía Godoy, the greatest songwriter of the so-called Sandinista Revolution that overthrew Anastasio Somoza Debayle in 1979.

The "Law that declares the flag, the anthem, the seal, the songs, the written, graphic and audiovisual documents of the Army Defender of National Sovereignty, EDSN, as intangible cultural heritage of the Nation", was presented on February 10 before the first secretariat of parliament by the Commission for Education, Culture, Sports and Social Media and was approved with the favorable vote of 74 legislators.

The commission's coordinator, Sandinista deputy Jose Antonio Zepeda, emphasized the importance of declaring these symbols as national heritage.

"Recognizing them as authentic symbols of patriotism that accompanied the Army in defense of the sovereignty, independence and integrity of the national territory," Zepeda said.

Prior to the approval of the legislation, and although the names of his works are not directly mentioned in the legislative initiative, singer-songwriter Carlos Mejía Godoy already warned that his songs would be confiscated.

Mejía told CNN on February 10 that “what I am doing is anticipating what may possibly come, because we live in a surreal country where anything can happen;

they feel they are owners of lives and goods and it is strange that they want to confiscate even the air we breathe ».

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The singer-songwriter complained that the songs of his authorship are broadcast in pro-government events.

"In fact, they have already confiscated our work, because they do not even fulfill the fundamental duty of giving the credits to the authors of the songs."

This February 19, during the opening of the special session in tribute to the 87th anniversary of the death of Augusto C. Sandino, a musical group performed two songs dedicated to Sandino, one by Carlos Mejía and the other by his brother Luis Enrique.

The brothers Carlos and Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy, who composed emblematic songs in support of the Sandinista revolution, have distanced themselves from Daniel Ortega since his return to power 14 years ago.

The Mejía Godoys dedicated concerts to the mortal victims of the anti-government protests that began in April 2018 and also, as 41 years ago, dedicated songs to the indigenous people of Monimbó in Masaya, considered the epicenter of the protests.

In August 2018, Carlos Mejía Godoy left the country for security reasons.

Luis Enrique Mejía is also in exile.

CNN requested a comment on Mejía Godoy's statements to the Government's Communication and Citizenship Council, but we are still waiting for a response.

The vice president and government spokesperson, Rosario Murillo, celebrated the approval of the law in her usual call to the official media: “All those writings, all that correspondence, all those books, songs, flowers, poems, all those graphics, all those audiovisuals , images that we have of those times, which are these times, in terms of spiritual strength that Nicaraguans have, all of this is our heroic, cultural, and spiritual heritage, ”said Murillo.

Augusto César Sandino, was a guerrilla leader who fought against the United States military on Nicaraguan soil between the 1920s and 1930s.

After the departure of US troops from Nicaragua in 1933, Sandino was invited to speak by Anastasio Somoza, the then head of the National Guard, but was kidnapped and assassinated.

Somoza's son was overthrown by the Sandinistas in 1979.