Judge Roberto Rodríguez is to be Commended

Regarding the letter to the editor by Judge Roberto Rodríguez “Volz Judge: I’m being Lynched for Just Ruling” (NT, Jan. 4): Dear Mr. Rodríguez, I own several properties and a home in Nicaragua. I have watched and experienced the changes in Nicaragua for five years prior to Daniel Ortega’s presidency, and up to the current date.

Obviously, I followed closely the Eric Volz trial and his 13 months in prison. There are so many tragedies involved in this ruling: the tragedy of imprisoning an innocent man; the tragedy of an unsolved murder; the tragedy of a beautiful young Nicaraguan woman’s death; the tragedy of observing a political system that claims to be democratic and yet, in fact, demonstrated a fearbased and very undemocratic legal system; and finally, the tragedy of the harassment and death threats to the three courageous appeals judges who had the most difficult task of reviewing the Volz case.

Mr. Rodríguez, despite what you are hearing and experiencing, there are so many MORE of us…Americans, Nicaraguans, Europeans, who APPLAUD and celebrate your commitment to morality, truth and honesty.

I had made the decision to sell everything I own and never set foot in Nicaragua again if the appeal did not free Eric.

I cannot and will not support a country in which my life and the lives of everyone else are endangered by a political legal system that does not adhere to fair and just principles.

Most of us will never be faced with having to publicly demonstrate our true core, our true moral code. Hence, it is very easy to verbally stand behind democracy. But when our own life and the lives of our family become compromised by our willingness to STAND FIRM and DEFEND what we believe, how many of us would crush under this pressure?

You can hold your head high, you can look your friends and family in the eye and you can KNOW that you did what was right.

I don’t believe for one minute that you will ever have to serve a prison sentence for speaking the truth. But I can assure you that if there are any repercussions that cause you to be “on trial,” you will find that millions of people will fight for you as well. There is so much sadness for me in this event.

It matters not to me that Eric is American and white.What matters to me is that the mob mentality, the emotionalism and political drive that took over are frightening and depressing.

Nicaragua was finally rising above its long history of chaos and political upheaval.

Friends were finally saying they were no longer AFRAID to visit Nicaragua. A small percentage of folks were investing and moving to Nicaragua despite the concerns from the past.

I was seeing so many more poor and uneducated Nicaraguans finding employment, and I was excited to be part of this movement.

I have met so many amazing people from other countries who are dedicating their time, their talents and their dollars to helping Nicaraguans achieve a more stable economic base. These people left comfortable lives to live with no electricity, no water and immense challenges to succeed in their businesses with these limitations.

But they did this because they love and honor the Nicaraguan people.

We foreigners who live in Nicaragua can accept these difficulties. But we can NOT live in a society where we have no voice and have no truth that one is “innocent until proven guilty.”We cannot live with this cloak of fear.

Thanks to you, Mr. Rodríguez, a small light is shining. Please, please do not give up your fight. Help others rise to your morality and do not let the “blackness” consume the majority.

It is lonely at the top; it is frightening to be a voice of integrity, but I can assure you, you are being heard and you are not ALONE.

Thank you for your bravery.