Venezuelans seek Clinton’s assistance in consulate’s harassment case
In a letter sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by Venezuelans Politically Persecuted in Exile (VEPPPEX), the organization blows the whistle on several issues of harassment taking place at the Venezuelan Consulate in Miami.
August 1st. 2011
The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street N.W.
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Clinton:
I am writing to express our concern about an irregular situation that is occurring at the Consulate General of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Miami.
According to the Venezuelan legislation reformed in 2009, to register in the Permanent Electoral Registry abroad, Venezuelan citizens must meet the following requirement: Present the original and a copy of a document proving immigration status to remain in the United States.
This requirement flagrantly violates the legislation of the United States as it is against the law to photocopy documents issued by the USCIS, as is a naturalization certificate, a U.S. passport, among others.
In addition, the Consulate of Venezuela in Miami is placing itself as an ICE office, since it wants to file copies of immigration documents of Venezuelans living in the United States. We suspect that this intended procedure is not quite clear, considering that a large group of Venezuelans have acquired immigration status through a process of asylum from political persecution. In consequence, this leaves a confidential procedure in the hands of the government that has persecuted us and that has forced us to leave our country.
It is our understanding that the officers that have the authority to ask for immigration documents are from the Department of Homeland Security and some local officials that work in the Department of Driver Licenses.
It is of great concern to us that the Venezuelan Consulate in Miami wants to apply this arbitrary measure to pin point those of us who have been granted asylum and who are refugees in the United States. Moreover, this procedure violates our human rights. There have been many complaints of harassment by consulate officers to a group of Venezuelans who have gone to carry out consular services. Under Venezuelan law, the consulates only function as administrative offices.
This action violates the precepts established by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, in its Article 5, ordinals J and M, which clearly establishes the obligation of the sending State to communicate changes in judicial and extrajudicial decisions to the receiving State, as well as exercising functions and procedures that are not prohibited by laws and regulations of the receiving State.
For these matters, we denounce the consular employee Simon Alexander Hernandez Delgado, Head of the Authorization Department, and the Consul General Livia Acosta, of these illegal practices in the territory of the United States, and at that the moment we reserve our opinion that these procedures be carried out by other consular officials.
We, Venezuelans who are exiled and who are refugees in The United States, are being persecuted by the consular authorities of Venezuela in Miami. Thus, we request your good offices, according to the existing norms to consider this discriminating situation.
We appreciate your attention to this request and we look forward to hearing from you,
Yours respectfully,
Jose Antonio Colina Pulido
President of the Organization of Venezuelans Politically Persecuted in Exile (Veppex)
Protected by the United Nations Convention Against Torture (CAT)
7230 N.W. 114 Ave. # 107,
Doral, Florida, 33178. T.: (305) 206-8973.
joseacolina@hotmail.com
In God We Trust
.PNG)
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