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Eyvin Hernandez

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Eyvin Hernandez is a Salvadoran American lawyer who works in the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office in California. Hernandez was imprisoned in Venezuela after being arrested by Venezuelan military agents in March 2022. He was released on December 20, 2023.

Early life and career

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When Hernandez was a toddler, his parents fled the Salvadoran Civil War and immigrated to the Los Angeles area.[1][2] He went on to graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles and UCLA School of Law.[1][3]

After graduating from law school, Hernandez turned down lucrative jobs in the legal industry to work as a deputy public defender for the Los Angeles County Public Defender in Los Angeles County, California.[1] In his role as a public defender, Hernandez represents indigent people and people who are experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.[1][4]

Arrest and detention

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In the weeks before his arrest, Hernandez had traveled to Colombia where he had been several times previously.[5] Before he was due home from his trip, he accompanied a friend to the border of Norte de Santander Department (Colombia) and Táchira, Venezuela,[6] a border area that is a dangerous region.[1] Hernandez was arrested near this border by Venezuelan military agents on March 31 of 2022.[7][8] Hernandez's family has maintained that he had no intention of entering Venezuela.[9][10]

Hernandez was charged with illegally entering the country, criminal association and conspiracy.[1] These charges are punishable by up to sixteen years in prison.[1] He was imprisoned in a maximum security prison in Caracas, Venezuela.[1]

Responses to detention

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Hernandez's brother Henry Martinez told the Associated Press: “My entire family deeply misses my brother. He has worked his entire career serving marginalized people and he is truly the best of us. We hope and pray that Eyvin can return home very soon from this mistaken arrest.”[11] Martinez appeared on Univision News and called on members of the United States government to do more to secure the release of his brother.[12] The family has asked for the U.S. Government to do more to bring Eyvin home.[13][14] Hernandez's family is a part of the Bring Our Families Home campaign which advocates to bring home wrongful detainees and hostages. His image is featured in a 15-foot mural in Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) along with other Americans wrongfully detained abroad.[15]

In April, the State Department issued a travel advisory about threats to Americans along the Venezuela-Colombia border.[1] Later, the United States Department of State confirmed the arrest of U.S. Citizens in Venezuela and issued the following statement: "We take seriously our commitment to assist US citizens abroad. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment."[16] A U.S. Official told EFE that they are following the situation closely and remain in communication with the family.[9] Many in the U.S. government fear that Hernandez and other Americans are being used as political bargaining chips.[17][18]

In July, U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order aiming to deter and punish those responsible for the wrongful detention of American citizens abroad.[19] The State Department also issued an advisory that American citizens are at risk of wrongful detention in Venezuela.[20]

On October 4, 2022, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion urging county congressional officials and the White House to secure Eyvin's release.[21]

In October 2022, the State Department designated Eyvin as “wrongfully detained” and placed his case under the jurisdiction of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA).

Personal life

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Hernandez has a history of labor activism and enjoys Salsa music.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "AP Exclusive: Venezuela jails 3 Americans amid US outreach". AP NEWS. 2022-07-12. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  2. ^ "Abogado estadounidense de origen salvadoreño fue encarcelado en Venezuela mientras estaba de vacaciones". Noticias de El Salvador - Noticias de El Salvador. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  3. ^ ""Eyvin representa la personificación del sueño americano", dice alumna de salvadoreño-americano arrestado en Venezuela". Noticias de El Salvador - Noticias de El Salvador. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  4. ^ "Family fights to free beloved US lawyer imprisoned in Venezuela while on vacation". the Guardian. 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  5. ^ Yucra, Janet (2022-07-21). "Familia de estadounidense detenido en Venezuela urge ayuda de congresistas". CURADAS © (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  6. ^ "Familia de estadounidense detenido en Venezuela urge ayuda de congresistas". Efecto Cocuyo. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  7. ^ Viva, Frontera (2022-07-12). "Régimen venezolano detuvo a 3 estadounidenses que presuntamente intentaron ingresar ilegalmente al país - fronteraviva.com". Frontera Viva Periodico Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  8. ^ Tripier, Benjamín (2022-07-14). "Vitrina Venezuela: La fuerza de la visión en situaciones de incertidumbre". EL NACIONAL (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  9. ^ a b "Familia de estadounidense detenido en Venezuela pide a congresistas intervenir para su liberación". El Pitazo (in Spanish). 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  10. ^ de 2022, 21 de Julio (21 July 2022). "La familia de un estadounidense detenido en Venezuela pidió ayuda a los congresistas de EEUU para lograr su liberación". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2022-08-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "L.A. lawyer among Americans jailed in Venezuela as U.S. tries to improve relations". Los Angeles Times. 2022-07-13. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  12. ^ Univision. ""Tomen acciones urgentes": familia de un estadounidense detenido en Venezuela pide ayuda a congresistas para liberarlo". Univision (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  13. ^ "The family of an American imprisoned in Venezuela asks President Biden to please bring him home". The Yucatan Times. 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  14. ^ "¡DETENIDO EN EL SEBIN! Familiares de estadounidense preso CLAMAN al Congreso de EE.UU. que los ayuden - Impacto Venezuela" (in Spanish). 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  15. ^ Turner, Tasha (2022-07-22). "Ottumwa native creates art to bring awareness to American hostages, detainees". KTVO. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  16. ^ Kylie Atwood, Vasco Cotovio and Chandelis Duster (13 July 2022). "Three Americans were detained in Venezuela earlier this year, source says". CNN. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  17. ^ Moreno, Gabriela (2022-07-21). "Maduro aumenta arrestos de estadounidenses para canjearlos por Saab". PanAm Post (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  18. ^ Wilner, Michael. "U.S. fears Venezuela is increasing efforts to lure and entrap Americans as bargaining chips". Miami Herald.
  19. ^ Pamuk, Humeyra; Alper, Alexandra (2022-07-20). "As pressure mounts, Biden acts to deter wrongful detentions of Americans abroad". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  20. ^ Li, Almond (2022-07-21). "US issues 'wrongful detention' risk warning for travellers to Hong Kong". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  21. ^ "LA officials presses feds to secure Eyvin Hernandez's release". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
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