“The inner voice of my conscience tells me that there is something seriously wrong with the way Mr. Garcia has been treated thus far.”
“Somehow the government of Barbados thinks that it has the moral authority to confine Mr. Garcia indefinitely. That’s just not right.”
by Mark Fenty
I’ve written quite extensively I believe on the topic regarding Mr. Raul Garcia’s confinement. I’ve done so because I believe that this case transcends the jurisprudence with governs human society and penetrates profoundly within our human conscience.
Many if not most have argued the pros and cons of this very unusual case. And sadly enough, some have used Mr. Garcia’s shortcomings as a convenient punching bag to marginalize the effort made by others to win his personal autonomy.
But, whether rightfully interpreted or wrongfully conceived by some – what is important in this case is the fact that a human life hangs in the balance. Now, don’t misinterpret my intentions, because I don’t profess to be an authority on what government should or should not do with respect to the happenstances of this nature. But I’m merely voicing my opinion because the inner voice of my conscience tells me that there is something seriously wrong with the way in which Mr. Garcia has been treated thus far.
From an outside observer’s vantage point, it seems like the actions of the Barbados government are rather precipitous. I could understand if Mr. Garcia was given a second opportunity to redeem himself and he had made a similar mistake. Then the actions of the Barbados government in my opinion would have warranted such response.
But we are dealing here with a man who has served his time, and just because the country of his birth refuses to accept him back, somehow the government of Barbados thinks that it has the moral authority to confine Mr. Garcia indefinitely. That’s just not right.
Listen! The choice the Barbados government ought to make seems quite clear to me. Restore Mr. Raul Garcia’s freedom and individual autonomy. Allow him to resume his life as a productive member of the society.
Barbados Free Press 
‘Conscience’ is an unruly thing – though I share the sense of Mark Fenty’s. The safest way is to rely on the rule of law and let right be done. And ‘right’ in this case is co-terminous with freedom.
Has Raul not vowed to recommence his hunger strike? Why has his lawyer not sought his immediate release? If he did, a court would be bound to set Raul’s position within a legal framework and thus ensure escape from the idea of unfettered executive discretion. Has Commissiong actually been retained?
I wonder how would people from Barbedos feel if one their own was held prisoner in an American jail after finishing his sentence for no good reason? How would his family fight againts the American government? What answers if any, would the American government give the Barbados government?
This is clearly happening to Mr. Garcia and his family because nobody is claiming him. No government has said : GIVE US RAUL GARCIA BACK HE IS OURS. HE IS OUR SON!!!!
This has become now an Inmigration issue and it’s no longer a criminal matter. The crimes which he committed if any have been satisfied by all the years that he spent already.
Mr. Garcia needs an aggresive Inmigration Attorney who can work on getting him out of that hell hole and back to freedom with his family!!!
Its been 114 days since Foon promised to have Mr Garcia taken out of Dodds. Gosh, he took so long to do nothing about the RedJet situation, the airline died! Perhaps he is waiting for the same result here.
if raul garcia was found guilty of drug trafficking in , lets say an asian jurisdiction, this would never have been an issue…. and we would have saved years of food costs to boot. your conscience don’t extend to the individuals or societies, killed and held as life long captives by cocaine.
@ Anon
But Raul was not guilty of drug trafficking. After all this time, for God’s sake get it right.
@ROBERT ROSS: So what was Garcia guilty of?
@ Rastaman
Importation of a controlled drug and possession.
Packages were dropped by air into a field in St Peter. The police story was that Garcia and another ran from cover into the field and collected two or three of the packages which remained unopened.
Garcia’s story was that he came to Bim to arrange emerald deals. He instructed a lawyer to prepare the legal documents. I know the lawyer and he confirms this. He alleged that the police stopped him and his colleague at random while they were driving in St Peter.
He WAS also originally convicted of trafficking but that conviction was quashed on appeal and Garcia’s sentence was reduced. The conviction on that ground was held wrong in law by the Court of Appeal..
Would somebody please tell Robert Ross it is the same thing DRUGS if he did in some other country he would have been put to death which I think he should get so go back on the hunger strike cause we will never know how many or our nation children he helped killed.
And Grabbie I agree with you 100%. If a Barbadian or Caribbean National was put in an American jail, when their jail sentence was finished would be put on a plane and sent back to their country of origin whether they knew anyone there or not, so all the heart sobs should take this man into their homes and look after him, not the tax payers of Barbados.
Crabbie & Just Want
Hi boys.