What is “treason of the country”, a crime of which opposition deputies have been accused

After the vote on the Electricity Reform in the Chamber of Deputies, the members of the ruling party (Morena, PT, PVEM) and those who voted against (PAN, PRI, PRD, MC), have pointed out to each other as being “traitors to the country”, and even the President of the Republic, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, attacked with this accusation against its critics.

In this context, the offense related to the “Treason of the Fatherland” was stipulated in the Federal Penal Code, Chapter One of Book Two, Title One on crimes against the security of the nation.

“A prison sentence of five to forty years and a fine of up to fifty thousand pesos shall be imposed on the Mexican who commits treason,” was indicated in Article 123, amended in the Official Gazette of the Federation on July 29, 1970.

For example, those who “carry out acts against the independence, sovereignty or integrity of the Mexican Nation with the purpose of subjecting it to a foreign person, group or government” would incur this crime.

Also those who may be part of or cooperate in any way in acts of hostility against the Nation, such as war actions on orders of a foreign State.

In this context, “when nationals serve as troops, imprisonment shall be imposed from one to nine years and a fine of up to ten thousand pesos”.

On the other hand, it was warned that anyone who “illegally deprives a person of his liberty in the national territory in order to hand him over to the authorities of another country or transfer him out of Mexico” could be investigated for this crime.

The third paragraph also detailed that those who are part of armed groups led by foreigners could be “traitors to the homeland”, if their objective is to violate the independence, sovereignty, freedom or integrity of Mexico, including those who seek the invasion of the country.

Added to this crime were those who destroy or remove the signs that mark the boundaries of the territory, borders, and cause confusion that causes a conflict for the country.

Also those who recruit people to wage war in Mexico with the help of a foreign government; or those who have relations or intelligence with other states, and exchange instructions, information or advice for the invasion, including also the exchange of documents, instructions or data of establishments and activities military, as well as those who knowingly conceal acts of espionage.

In this crime, those who provide human or material elements, and facilitate entry to military posts in foreign states to invade the Mexican country, or those who prevent national troops from receiving aid were also enlisted.

Also those who call for intervention or protectorate from a foreign country, and that triggers a war in Mexico. If there is no medical conflict, they indicated “imprisonment will be four to eight years and a fine of up to ten thousand pesos”.

And in the case of individuals who request others from a different State to take up arms within the territory for their invasion; if this is not carried out, the penalty shall be “four to eight years imprisonment and a fine of up to ten thousand pesos”. In this sense, those who try to “alienate or tax the national territory or contribute to its dismemberment” could be accused of “traitors”.

Finally, we list those who:

“Receive any benefit, or accept a promise to receive it, in order to perform any of the acts indicated in this article.

“Accept from the invader a job, position or commission and issue, agree or vote on measures aimed at affirming the intruding government and weakening the national.

“Commit, declared war or broken hostilities, sedition, mutiny, rebellion, terrorism, sabotage or conspiracy.”

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