[Imc-newsroom] Charges Dropped in DeWine Petitioner Case

[Mary Hershberger]

The Ohio Working Group on Latin America

July 30, 2002

Contact: Vince Ramos (614) 235-1883 (ramosfam at core.com); Mary Hershberger 
(614) 442-5915

All Charges Dropped for DeWine Petitioner

In a surprise move, all charges against Vince Ramos of Columbus, Ohio, were 
dropped today before his dismissal hearing which was scheduled for 10 am 
tomorrow, Wednesday, July 31.  The charges were dropped at the request of 
Senator Mike DeWine's office.

Ramos, a seminary student at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, and nine other 
Ohioans were arrested in DeWine's Columbus office on April 30, 2002, while 
trying to schedule a meeting with the Senator at his convenience.

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. On July 9, Columbus Judge Anne Taylor dropped all 
charges against 8 other defendants.  The tenth defendant, Cheryl Ann 
Raver-Sanchez, is currently in Colombia.

Following a public outcry regarding Senator DeWine's refusal to meet with 
his constituents, his staff agreed to a meeting between the Senator and 
members of the Ohio Working Group on Latin America.  That meeting is 
scheduled for August 13.  After charges against him were dropped today, 
Ramos said, "Being arrested for trying to meet with my Senator about U.S. 
foreign policy was not an easy experience, but I would do it again for my 
brothers and sisters in Latin America."

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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 about Colombia:
http://ciponline.org/colombia or http://www.usfumigation.org
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