[Imc-newsroom] DeWine/Ramos Press Advisory

[Mary Hershberger]

The Ohio Working Group on Latin America
http://mahost.org/owgla

July 29, 2002

DEWINE PETITIONER DISMISSAL HEARING WEDNESDAY

*** Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 10:00 a.m.

*** Franklin County Municipal Court, Courtroom 12-C
         375 S. High St., Columbus, Ohio

*** Contact: Defendant Vince Ramos (614)235-1883; ramosfam at core.com; 
Attorney Frederick Benton (614)445-3962; John Ewers or Paula Ewers 
(937)278-5446

The right of Ohio citizens to meet with their elected officials will be 
tested in a dismissal hearing in court on July 31 as Vince Ramos faces 120 
days and a $1,000 fine for attempting to schedule a meeting with Senator 
Mike DeWine to discuss Plan Colombia, a package of military and fumigation 
policies in Colombia and the Andean Region. Vince Ramos and 9 other Ohioans 
were arrested in DeWine's Columbus office on April 30, 2002 while trying to 
schedule a face-to-face meeting with him at his convenience.  They spent 
the next 30 hours in jail.

Ramos and the nine others belong to the Ohio Working Group on Latin 
America, whose members tried unsuccessfully for two years to speak directly 
to Senator DeWine about the detrimental effects of U.S. foreign policy in 
Colombia.  DeWine (R-OH) has played a prominent role in crafting Plan 
Colombia, which primarily consists of massive military aid and widespread 
toxic aerial fumigation. Six of the ten defendants have traveled widely in 
Colombia and wanted to share with DeWine the concerns of Colombian 
civilians who bear the brunt of that policy in Colombia.

On July 9, Columbus Judge Anne Taylor dropped all charges against 8 of the 
other defendants. If the motion to dismiss is denied on July 31, Ramos will 
go to trial in late summer or early fall. Ramos is represented by Columbus 
Attorney Frederick Benton.  The tenth defendant, Cheryl Ann Raver-Sanchez 
is currently in Colombia.

# # # # # # # #

The Ohio working Group on Latin America (OWGLA) is a statewide coalition of 
peace and solidarity organizations and individuals working to address 
escalating U.S. intervention in Latin America.

For more information on Colombia: http://www.ciponline.org/colombia or 
http://www.usfumigation.org

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