Petition Sent to GG for Release of Ramiro de La Rosa
Ramiro de la Rosa
On Tuesday we brought you the story of Ramiro de la Rosa, the twenty-seven-year-old father from Duck Run Two community who received a three-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to a gun charge. De la Rosa’s father had died, but late last week police in San Ignacio got wind that there was a gun in the house, searched the premises and found the shotgun. Ramiro and his wife were taken to the station where Ramiro agreed, after taking advice from a Justice of the Peace and the police but not an attorney, that pleading guilty to possession of an illegal firearm was the right course of action. He apparently wanted to prevent his wife from being charged, and did not know the penalty that accompanies the offence. The sentencing drew outrage from a cross-section of Cayo residents and prompted activist, businesswoman and politician, Nancy Marin, to take action. She told News Five today that she has submitted a letter to Governor General Froyla T’zalam, begging for pardon for De la Rosa. She has also started a social media campaign called “Justice for Ramiro.”
Nancy Marin
Nancy Marin, Activist/Politician
“I’ve known this family since, I guess Ramiro was even born. I knew the parents and I know that they are an honest, hard-working family, never in trouble – just doing their farming, earning their living, and contributing to our community. And when his sister called me on Friday, and told me that Ramiro was arrested and given three years – it didn’t seem – something was wrong. I tried to delve more into it. The family is very innocent of the law. They were scared and didn’t know what to do. Ramiro de la Rosa has underlying issues. Since he was a boy, his lungs are very weak, he has stomach issues, He has anxiety attacks very often and this is not just from now. So I knew that somebody like that cannot take that kind of pressure. I went to try to see what we can do. We called everybody in authority, from politicians to police officers, to the Commissioner, everybody, to see what we could do only to be told that the court’s ruling is the final word. We sent in a printed petition with some of the signatures because we’ve gotten more afterwards to the Governor-General by registered mail so she should be receiving that today. We were advised that under fifty-two of the laws, she could grant him pardon and we’re hoping that she will listen to our plea.”
De la Rosa remains hospitalized under police guard at the private institution. On Tuesday, attorney Arthur Saldivar told News Five that De la Rosa can also appeal his sentence. Attorney O.J. Elrington has offered to take on De la Rosa’s case pro-bono in the event their appeal to the Governor-General is not successful.
