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 Editorials | Issues | December 2007 
Minister Accused of Politicking in the Case of Canadian Imprisoned in Mexico
 Charles Rusnell - Edmonton Journal
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| | Brenda Martin has been imprisoned in Guadalajara since February 2006, charged with money laundering and being part of a criminal conspiracy. |
Edmonton - Supporters of a Canadian woman imprisoned without trial in Mexico for nearly two years were astonished when they learned that a federal cabinet member is publicly claiming she and her government have worked hard behind the scenes to expedite Brenda Martin's case and to ensure her legal and human rights have been respected.
Incredulity turned to anger when Helena Guergis, the secretary of state for foreign affairs and international trade, warned in a letter to the editor published in the Edmonton Journal that "those who are playing politics with Ms. Martin's regrettable situation... are not helping to advance her case or get her home any faster."
Deb Tieleman of Waterloo, Ont., a childhood friend of Martin's, said she could not believe her eyes when she read Guergis' letter.
"The government has done nothing to help Brenda for nearly two years and for (Guergis) to accuse us of playing politics is incredibly insulting," Tieleman said. "We criticized the government because we couldn't get them to do anything to help Brenda."
Martin, 50, has been imprisoned in Guadalajara since February 2006, charged with money laundering and being part of a criminal conspiracy. Martin had been living in Puerto Vallarta for several years when she was hired in 2000 as a chef and house manager by former Edmontonian Alyn Waage. Between 1999 and 2001, Waage operated what is believed to be largest Internet-based pyramid fraud scheme in history, bilking about 15,000 investors worldwide out of about $60 million.
Waage has sworn an affidavit confirming she had no knowledge of the scheme.
Martin's supporters recently hired Toronto lawyer Guillermo Cruz Rico to take over her case from a Mexican public defender. A review of the file showed that consulate officials were notified of Martin's incarceration on Feb. 18, 2006, but it was not until Dec. 14, 2007 that a representative made official inquiries to the Mexican court about her legal status.
Cruz found Martin's most basic legal rights under both Mexican and international law had been violated because she was never provided with a proper translator either during the police investigation or the legal process. Based on those violations, Cruz has applied to have the charges against Martin thrown out. The case is to be heard Jan. 7.
In her letter to the editor, Guergis, who is engaged to Edmonton MP Rahim Jaffer, said the federal government has "strongly and repeatedly pressed senior Mexican officials" to expedite Martin's case.
But Dan McTeague, the Liberal foreign affairs critic for consular services, said he met with the Mexican ambassador to Canada, Emilio Goicoechea Luna, earlier this month and the ambassador told him no one from foreign affairs had ever contacted him about Martin's case. After their meeting, Goicoechea personally visited Martin in prison in Guadalajara and assured her he would do everything he could to help her.
"The ambassador has done far more than Guergis ever did," McTeague said. "If, as she claims, the government has been pressing this issue with Mexico for two years, then it is clear they are getting nowhere and that should have triggered a diplomatic note, or at the very least, a visit with the ambassador." |
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