Software company founder John McAfee, right, accompanied by his
girlfriend, whose uncle happens to be McAfee's lawyer and a former
Guatemala attorney general, in Guatemala City, Dec. 4.
McAfee in Guatemala:
'Paradise of Impunity'? (El Periodico, Guatemala)
"Lamentably,
I think the public perception of all this, is that he came to hide in a country
with a feeble justice system and a high-priced lawyer. We'll see whether this
event is resolved without bias. The winds don't seem to favor this man with the
famous surname. But his conspicuous legal professional advises that one cannot
predict the final outcome. Hopefully, here, there or in the both countries, justice
will prevail. Otherwise we'll remain: a paradise of impunity."
Telesforo Guerra: The former Guatemala attorney general and lawyer for antivirus software pioneer John McAfee is in the spotlight, as he tries to extricate his client after he entered Guatemala illegally seeking asylum.
The news that John McAfee has sought asylum in Guatemala is
really unusual. There is nothing common about hearing that foreigners want to seek
asylum here. Nor is it commonly heard that Belize has a repressive government.
But one never knows, right?
The news is even more striking, because it's a U.S. millionaire
who nobody knew, except for his name: the famous brand of antivirus software.
He is considered a suspect in a murder, but he and his famous lawyer say it's a
political persecution, which is how the software maker justifies seeking asylum
in Guatemala.
Asylum, which has a long history, is the right of refuge
from persecution. But persecution is an improper action, and is understood to
relate to instances in which someone facing a continuing threat of harassment.
Therefore, asylum is appropriate only when someone is persecuted for their
ideas.
Examples of famous political refugees: Leon Trotsky in Mexico, or
more recently, Julian Assange, the protagonist of WikiLeaks, who is seeking
asylum in Ecuador.
The right to seek asylum, then, cannot be invoked against a
legitimate judicial action arising from nonpolitical crimes or crimes against
humanity. According to press reports, McAfee entered the country illegally, apparently
in a dramatic attempt to escape. Sailing toward somewhere along our porous
border, he finally succeeded reaching terra firma. But since Guatemala has no
extradition treaty with Belize, I wonder, would it not have been better to
enter our country legally? When you cross borders and meet all the
"rigors" of immigration and customs, at least one doesn't run the
risk of deportation.
Surely, McAfee or his counsel would say no, arguing that he
would have been stopped at the Belizean border illegally. Again, who knows? Lamentably,
I think the public perception of all this, is that he came to hide in a country
with a feeble justice system and a high-priced lawyer. We'll see whether this
event is resolved without bias. The winds don't seem to favor this man with the
famous surname. But his conspicuous legal professional advises that one cannot
predict the final outcome. Hopefully, here, there or in the both countries, justice
will prevail. Otherwise we'll remain: a paradise of impunity.
