Muckraker-A Conspiracy to Incarcerate
Provided by The Real Democrat
500 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1815
New York, NY 10110Eduardo Del Rio, born in Colombia, South America, but now a still-young American citizen is being held in prison for a near-to-life sentence - without a single legal charge of a crime having been made against him.
How could this happen?
Eduardo had written a successful published book of fiction about the drug racket, entitled The Colombian Blonde.
However, after thinking deeply about this "narc" dilemma, its devastation of human lives, and today even the fate of whole nations, such as his native Colombia...and now, having become an American citizen - its effect on the relations between our two countries- he decided to write a second book on the subject. But more in the nation of a true-to-life documentary.
Needing some accurate details for this authentic account -- the gifted writer befriended a neighbor whom he knew slightly ... but became aware (largely through the neighbor's own loud outspokenness) that Christien was very familiar with the racket himself.
This neighbor and some associates came always to refer to Del Rio as "the writer," knowing very well that he was doing research for a book.
In stumbling across a rather bizarre contact between one seasoned drug-dealer and an FBI "undercover" agent - Eduardo learned that some strange "connections" existed between the peddlers of "Colombian Blonde" (and other drug brands) and U.S. government agencies.
Very shortly thereafter, several well-known "kingpins" in the drug racket were arrested ... threatened with life sentences. "La Cachaca (the country "hick") - who, when arrested by the FBI, confessed that she, in fact, was the dealer who had ordered 14 kilos of cocaine from Bogota, Colombia -- a shipment then in question. Señora Acosta also confessed that she has been into "narc" dealing for some dozen lucrative years, and had amassed a fortune in drug dollars.
Signing her name to this confession, in a session called an FBI debriefing, she -- and an even longer-time dealer, one Edwin Diaz, in the same racket for all of 20 years, amassing millions - were both jailed, along with two others.
The FBI agent attending the debriefing session of course informed the District Attorney handling their case of this woman's confession. Del Rio's paid private lawyer discovered this fact, too. That neighbor of Eduardo was also charged, ... and was forced, on his arrest -- at FBI gunpoint -- to telephone Del Rio, who the FBI had been told was a neighbor and associate of Christien.
The "FBI" listened in on the call. This forced call itself was illegal - since no charge of guilt has yet been made against either Christien or Eduardo - (and bugging or eavesdropping on a citizen's calls was illegal at the time). While drugs were never mentioned during the illegally eavesdropped-on call - the agent managed to "interpret" three unexplained words - "I'll take five" - as drug-related. No evidence was ever found to establish that these words referred to drugs in any way - or that they indicated "guilt" of any kind. Indeed, no evidence could be found, despite the D.A.'s diligent efforts, that Eduardo Del Rio had ever even used drugs ... let alone bought any, ordered a shipment of any, or sold any, in any dealing anywhere.
Eduardo, a former airline worker, now had a good family business in export-import computer-ware. He, his wife and small son (at the time) had a lovely home in Coral Gables, Florida. This studious author and businessman would certainly have no incentive to take on the physical dangers, to life and limb, of an illegal drug racket - in order to make a decent living!
And of course - he never did!
No use, no possession, no transaction in narcotics, were ever found by official "sleuths" on loyal American citizen, Eduardo Del Rio.
Yet - shockingly - the very lady who had signed a confession that she indeed - Maria Acosta - had ordered the questioned 14 kilos of cocaine from Colombia - when a trial was held in a court of law in Miami, after the summary arrest of Eduardo (done in a singularly vindictive way, but that is another story) ... in the very presence of the FBI agent who received her confession, also the D.A., who had seen her signed confession - and perhaps Eduardo's well-paid private lawyer himself - who certainly had a legal right to know of her confession (and perhaps even the Judge himself had been informed of it - as was only proper) ... when a jury was assembled to ponder the facts, Maria Acosta was allowed to lie before that jury, point the finger at Eduardo, and boldly state that he - not she - was guilty of ordering the shipment.
Fact! At least three officers of the Court, who were present at that trial, knew full well -- that she was lying, and let it pass. But still more shocking - Eduardo Del Rio's own very well-paid private attorney - who had every right both to know and to tell the jury of this woman's confession - chose instead, to incriminate his client, right in front of that impressionable jury -- with words that incredibly, even unconscionably, said in effect, "This man is guilty as hell."
The Judge, too - a former Marshal and an extreme conservative - joined in the chorus of implying that the man called "the Writer" was guilty as hell!!! Asked three times to recuse himself from the case - due to his known extreme conservatism - this Judge three times refused.
One accusatory lower-level government agent even shouted at Colombian-born Del Rio- "You fuckin' Colombians have a goddam nerve hurtin' and harmin' good Americans and our kids and us with your Colombian shit!" (OR, invective to that effect.)
So ... Racism added insult to injury in this case. Yet no possession of drugs was ever found on Eduardo. No transaction - either buying or selling drugs - was ever "discovered!" So ... what legal charge could there be?
[if Eduardo's use of a certain amount of dissembling to win over the confidence of these crooks, and encourage them to "talk" more openly about their racket - as being "charged" (is there any law on the books against personally "acting out" a role?) - then all the police personnel who are paid by government, similarly to "act a part" as drug dealers, in order to induce private citizens to "fall for" their enticements and break the law (as in the shocking case -- of one Patrick Dorismond in N.Y.C. - who was shot and killed by a cop for denouncing such a ploy!) - would themselves be breaking the law!!!]
Oh - the Court found a way out of that "No Charge" dilemma. They accused Mr. Del Rio of being a known "R.I.C.O."-style manipulator... that is, a "Racketeer-Involved Criminal Operator" (which is what the R.I.C.O. law is aimed at entrapping, against known crime-gang leaders - like, say, a John Gotti -- who use underlings to do their criminal dirty work for them.
The only trouble with the government's theory - in this case -- is... they could no way pin on Mr. Del Rio any connection with gangs or gangsterism, in all 34 years of his life. No connection has ever been found (even by diligent research) between "the Writer," the former airline employee, the successful computer-ware businessman, and any illicit or illegal activity, whatsoever!
So ... the R.I.C.O. assumption flops. No charge that could "stick." No evidence. No connection with organized crime (or even UN-organized criminal activity).
Yet Edwin Del Rio (#52700-004) languishes behind bars in the Jesup Federal Facility in Jesup, Georgia, 2680 Highway 301 South, Jesup, GA 31599 USA, today!
A loyal enthusiast for American democracy, his dream of becoming a U.S. citizen nursed by Eduardo even before arriving at 18 years of age, in the States - he now has long years to face the bitter irony of that boyhood dream!!!
Unless, of course, we who care act now - on this gross injustice, and very clear evidence -- that there is in fact much more to this sad story.
Especially when my own well-known attorney brother, Robert Boehm, came to handle the appeal of my own former spouse, Eduardo Del Rio ... and presented to the Appeal Court Judge the clear evidence of Maria Acosta's signed confession that she - and she alone! - had ordered that particular drug shipment from Colombia.
And that learned Appeals Judge - who certain knew better - could SEE the damning evidence, witness La Cachaca's signature of guilt on the FBI-recorded confession ... and simply shrug his judicial shoulders, with learned words and an attitude that said - "So what?"
What was the reason - we ask -- for all this finger-pointing by accused and well-known drug-dealers ... including millionaire "kingpins" plus a wealth "queen-pin?"
Now, there is a strictly non-enforced law on the U.S. books which decrees that accusations by the criminally accused against co-defendants, who are possibly innocent persons - merely to lighten their own assured life-sentences, which are therefore reduced from "Life" to a mere 3 years-or-so "behind bars" - with the certainty of an early parole (maybe to a mere half that number) - is a law that is evidently "enforced" more in the breach than the observance. Many known drug kingpins are used to condemn others in this way!
Eduardo Del Rio, a very personable young man who could have won over any honest and objective jury - was not even "permitted," under his own private lawyer's pressure, to take the witness stand in his defense!
A former husband of mine is this much abused (as well as falsely accused!) Eduardo yes! Bus why should not all of us who believe in justice also act on this seemingly outrageous miscarriage of justice - including not only a D.A., an FBI representative, a private paid attorney, and one intransigent Judge - and then (yet!) another!!!
If you think this whole charade smacks of a court-engineered conspiracy, you are probably right!
For there is indeed indication of a very evident "conspiracy" in this mockery of justice!- [that loaded word - so hated and feared by reaction - and by the U.$. war-spreading (NON elected!) "Government" these days] ... One aspect of which $cheme is clearly aimed at Colombia, South America -- not as a bona fide "war against drugs," but as part of a much "wider war" ... schemed by an entrenched corporate "$uper-power" in a global drive for $uper-profits the world over. With a particular focus on OIL, on which the entire industrialized works depends as its lifeline for mass-production.
Colombia, South America is a prime example of this corporate lust for oil (plus some secondary mineral resources) -- being an area rich in the famous "black gold!"
This is why the U.S., under BU$H, is investing over a billion of our hard-earned U.S. tax-dollars in a lawless death-squad "government" down there ... where over the past decade and -a-half, some 3,800 trade union workers have been slaughtered [some of them right inside American-owned plants!] - with no arrests for murder, and no end in sight !!!
Plus the tragic gunning down, too of some 430 school teachers for their dedication to public education ... (a thing most feared by de facto "Slave owners" as are the so-called "Free Trade" $$ moguls) - from the time of Black Slavery in our country to the present! and wage-slavery is indeed what so-called "free trade" and globalization is all about!
In a word - BU$H & Co. are heavily arming, supporting, and subsidizing this kind of de facto terrorism in Colombia (and elsewhere) today.
They are using massive militarized terrorism as a means of destroying all organized resistance to oppression, all attempts by people's movements to protect our earthly environment, all efforts to win a better life for those who must work for a living, including protection through trade unions ... in "maqiladores" ("golden mills" under "free trade" treaties) ... also professionals such as teachers and civil libertarians who seek to protect human rights!!!
Also, of course, attacking whole farming populations -- long cheated out of the fruits of their labor -- who seek nothing more than fair returns for their hard toil on the land.
In short, BU$H & Co., far from "fighting" terrorism -- are scheming an ever-wider war to enforce its evil intent ... to use the actual terrorism of a nuclear-armed "Armageddon" to force all humanity to bow to the $upreme Corporate WILL to $uper-Exploit all who labor - under the "free trade" mask of
GLOBALIZATION !!!
Seen in this light -- the Alice-in Wonderland "trial" of Eduardo Del Rio becomes as clear as daylight, in its actual purpose. Flouting all legal custom and Constitutional mandates - it is an exercise in the wrongful use of "snitches" and government-rewarded "stool-pigeonism" to entrap -- not only Eduardo - but hundreds to thousands of decent individuals whose work happens to threaten or expose government motives, in the entire rightwing-dominated "take-over" not only of Colombian resources, but of our country too (along with all others under corporate domination). And to suppress any person, persons, or groups who question deeply this much-touted, but fake, "war on terrorism!!!"
Yes... a man without any legal charge against him sits in jail, for an unconscionable sentence of many years, torn from his wife and two loving children.
We -- who should care -- had better see clearly the wider implications of this outrage --- When today -- under BU$H's "military tribunals" policies -- many presumably innocent persons are being similarly imprisoned - without legal rhyme-or-reason (most being prejudged by their dark complexion, language, or place of national origin) ... How much closer to Hitler "law" can we get?
Eduardo Del Rio, long an ultra-loyal American citizen, had no prior intention of exposing this "system's" use of illegal drugs, injustice, or mass terror ... Bus his experiences in researching the drug racket - and his subsequent court frame-up, incurring a lengthy prison term - taught him "muy muchos" about it all!!!
He doubtless realizes NOW that this "government," its courts, many lawyers, government agents and judges, prefer to entrap honest souls - by very commonly-used legal games and ploys - so that both decent people, honest researchers, and potentially enlightening books - can all be "buried" together in prisons. Indeed, as in U.$. armed and subsidized Colombia itself!!!
How long will honest people tolerate this madness?
"How long, oh Lord?" -- will good folks continue to be harassed, set-up, shut up, contained, and confined - by two "governments" own crookedness ... along with these brazenly lying, well-paid $tooges on corporate-owned TV (and lessor media) - all for the express purpose of destroying lives and our freedoms together, both at home and abroad?
How long will we allow good people in Colombia to be slaughtered by governments which pose as "fighting terrorism" - and how long before such a lawless (even murderous) policy "comes home to roost?"
Should we who know better CARE?
Should those who know the TRUTH go on letting it all happen?
Especially here "at home" -- where we still can (more safely at least) speak out???
How long will Colombian death-squads be allowed to "pick off" decent democracy-loving human beings?How long will Colombian-born Eduardo, -- and uncounted thousands like him - be allowed to languish, unspoken for, in prison?
How long, Oh Lord??? -- How long with truth be "forever in the dock, while wrong remains forever on the throne?!"
Just so long will decent humans continue to die ... just so long will Eduardo Del Rio and countless others have to endure an existence unjustly and illegally behind bars ... Just so long will all of humanity remain threatened by the ungodly terror of a not only "possible," but entirely likely devastation of Mother Earth - whether by outright nuclear war, or nuke-spread poisons, or their derivatives in untold abuses and contaminations of nation and earth -- confronting us all right now?!!!
WHO WILL SPEAK UP? - if not those who labor for a living - and the trade union movement they built for their own protection ... those in the first line of fire, facing all these disastrous pro-"globalization" schemes, wars, killings, rank injustices, and world-threatening consequences?
All people of conscience - with the strengthened forces of labor in the lead - MUST speak out now ... or forever have to pay for their silence!!!
Editor's note: FREE Eduardo Del Rio, #52700004
Jesup Correctional Facility
2680 Highway 301 South
Jesup, GA 31599 USA
AND prosecute and disbar those who caused him to be incarcerated!!!!!
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TRUE DEMOCRACY Summer 2002 Copyright © 2002 by News Source, Inc.