Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova
| Carlos Eugenio Vides | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1937 Santa Ana, El Salvador |
| Residence | El Salvador |
| Nationality | Salvadoran |
| Occupation | military officer |
| Employer | government of El Salvador |
| Known for | human rights violations (torture) |
| Title | Defense Minister of El Salvador |
| Spouse(s) | Lourdes Llach |
| Children | Maria Gema Vides Melendez, Marta Del Carmen Vides Demmer, Geraldo Vides Melendez[1] |
Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova was head of the Salvadoran national guard and later defense minister. He was sued in the federal civil court of Miami, Florida in the United States in two precedent-setting cases. The cases are referred to by the surname of his co-defendant, José Guillermo García:
- Ford v. Garcia, a lawsuit by the families of four Catholic churchwomen who were murdered by a Salvadoran military death squad on December 2, 1980. The defense won the case, and the families appealed. Their appeal was denied, and in 2003, the United States Supreme Court refused to hear further proceedings.
- Ramagoza v. Garcia, a lawsuit by survivors of torture during the Salvadoran Civil War, including Carlos Mauricio and Neris Gonzalez. Garcia and Vides lost, and a judgment of over $54 million (U.S.) was entered against them, and upheld on appeal.[2]
After his first wife died, Vides married Lourdes Llach, daughter of coffee baron, amateur astronomer, and former Salvadoran ambassador to the Holy See[3] (1977–1991)[4] Prudencio Llach Schonenberg.
On October 6, 2009 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it initiated deportation proceedings against General Vides Casanova for assisting in the torture of Salvadoran civilians. On 24 February 2012, a Federal immigration judge cleared the way for his deportation.[5]
On March 11, 2015, the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed General Vides Casanova's appeal.[6][7]
On April 8, 2015, U.S. immigration officials deported General Vides Casanova to El Salvador.[8]
See also
References
- ↑ Romagoza V. Casanova
- ↑ "El Salvador generals guilty of torture". BBC News. 2002-07-23. Retrieved 2009-12-31.
- ↑ NACLA
- ↑ List of Ambassadors
- ↑ Preston, Julia (February 23, 2012). "Salvadoran May Be Deported From U.S. for '80 Murders of Americans". The New York Times.
- ↑ Board of Immigration Appeals. "Matter of Carlos Eugenio VIDES CASANOVA, Respondent" (PDF). http://www.justice.gov/eoir/''. Executive Office for Immigration Review. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ↑ Preston, Julia (March 12, 2015). "General in El Salvador Killings in ’80s Can Be Deported, Court Rules". The New York Times.
- ↑ Preston, Julia (April 8, 2015). "U.S. Deports Salvadoran General Accused in ’80s Killings". The New York Times.
External links
- Ford v. Garcia Trial Background. Legal history section of PBS website on "Justice and the Generals" presentation in 2002. Accessed October 7, 2005; confirmed online December 11, 2006.
- Report of the Commission on the Truth for El Salvador (1993) accessed online December 9, 2006.