Beto Coral Forced Out of US After 30-Day Detention Over Colombia Election Protest
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 19
Beto Coral Forced Out of US After 30-Day Detention Over Colombia Election Protest
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 19
Summary
Beto Coral said US authorities arrested him in Florida on 16 June and pushed him into voluntary departure a month later after he protested outside Miami polling stations against Abelardo de la Espriella, Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate in Colombia.
A Marco Rubio memo sent that morning to DHS alleged Coral had used his US presence to conduct political activity against a Colombian candidate and said the agency could take steps to facilitate his departure.
Coral, 40, said he spent 24 of 30 days in solitary confinement, was transferred six times across four states, and was assaulted and denied food and water; DHS instead called him an illegal alien who overstayed his visa.
De la Espriella, who won the election and took office this month, had publicly echoed US visa threats before the arrest; Coral says the detention followed the candidate’s request and notes he faced no immigration charges.
Nine Democratic lawmakers demanded Coral’s release in June, calling it a free-speech violation, and the case is being viewed as the first known US detention tied to comments about a foreign election.