An artist's conception of the creation of
the 'Torture Memo.'
El Tiempo, Colombia
Attorney General
Gonzalez: a 'Terrible Betrayal'
"Gonzales hasn't lifted a finger
in defense of the Hispanic community ... many voices have been raised calling
for his resignation. The Latino leadership should join in the outcry."
By Sergio Muñoz Bata
Translated By Karen Hoffman
March 13, 2007
Colombia
- El Tiempo - Original Article (Spanish)
Two years ago, Alberto Gonzales
was the pride and hope of the Latin community. But today, his sycophantic
compliance with policies and presidential practices that use the very
institution responsible for defending justice to undermine the civil rights of
the people, and his indifference to the central tenets of the Latin-American
agenda in this country, have been a terrible betrayal.
In a community so desperate
for good role models, the ascent of Gonzales represented a double triumph: Not
only would he be the first Latino Attorney General, but in addition, he would
also be the first Latino to occupy one of the four positions of greatest
influence in the presidential cabinet.
His personal history was an
inexhaustible source of community pride because his success encouraged the illusion
that it was possible for other children - also of poor immigrants and
undocumented grandparents, who like him, were born and raised in the poverty of
the barrio - to overcome.
Gonzales earned a Doctorate
in Law from Harvard. He was a Texas Supreme Court Justice and Secretary of
State during the governorship of George W. Bush and later, he became Bush's
lawyer.
His fame as a man of
integrity and intelligence as well as his dedication to the cause of [Latino]
community rights led to forecasts that, given his ability, he would continue
his history of defending the civil rights of all citizens, and remain devoted
to the community groups and themes of the Hispanic community that he had so
defended in the past.
One believed that Gonzales would
spare no effort to protect to protect minorities from discriminatory election
practices and it was hoped that he would help obtain a just immigration law.
From his own personal
experience, Gonzales know that far from being criminals, the immense majority
of legal and illegal immigrants come to this country to work - to build a
future so that their children and grandchildren can succeed in a place so full
of opportunity.
Two years on, disillusionment
is widespread. Gonzales hasn't lifted a finger in defense of the Hispanic
community. Worse still, as Attorney General, Gonzales has been a promoter of
telephone eavesdropping and has allowed the FBI, which is part of his
department, to abuse its powers to obtain financial, telephone and business
records under the Patriot Act 
,
without at least giving the right of appeal to those being investigated.
Instead of defending the
rights of minorities, his record on the matter of elections shows a noticeable
tendency to erode minority voting rights and the integrity of the electoral
system.
The latest scandal in which
Gonzales has been involved is the dismissal of eight regional public
prosecutors [federal prosecutors], in what appears to be a political purge of
government officials who failed to adhere to the political agenda of the
Republican Party.
The dismissal of Carol Lam,
the public prosecutor in San Diego, is perhaps the most aberrant. Lam, who put
Republican Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham behind bars for
accepting millions in bribes from military contractors, was in the middle of
trials against other important figures in the Congress, the CIA, and suppliers
for the Defense Department, when she was told to leave.
According to the
Administration, she neglected the central problem in administering justice in
San Diego, which is illegal immigration. That is to say, she was dismissed due
to her eagerness to prosecute real criminals, so she was short of time
prosecuting those who come to work without documents.
This week in [the U.S.]
Congress, many voices have been raised calling for the resignation of Gonzales.
The Latino leadership should join in the outcry. Gonzales has not only failed
his community - he has failed his entire country.
Spanish Version Below
Orgullo y decepción
Gonzales no ha movido un dedo en defensa de la comunidad hispana.
Hace dos años, Alberto Gonzales
era el orgullo y la esperanza
de la comunidad latina.
Hoy, su obsequiosidad a las políticas y prácticas presidenciales que se valen de la institución encargada de velar por la justicia para socavar los derechos civiles de las personas da vergüenza; y su indiferencia ante los temas centrales de la agenda latina en este país ha sido
una terrible decepción.
En una
comunidad tan urgida de ejemplos paradigmáticos, el ascenso de Gonzales representaba
un doble triunfo. No solo sería el primer Procurador de Justicia latino sino que sería,
además, el primer latino que ocupaba una
de las cuatro posiciones de mayor peso en el gabinete
presidencial.
Su historia
personal era una inagotable
fuente de orgullo para la comunidad porque su éxito
alentaba la ilusión del triunfo de otros hijos de inmigrantes pobres y abuelos indocumentados que como él, nacen
y crecen en la pobreza del
barrio.
Gonzales obtuvo
un doctorado en derecho por Harvard. Fue juez de la corte suprema de Texas y secretario de
Estado durante la gobernación
de George W. Bush y posteriormente, su abogado.
Su fama
de hombre íntegro e inteligente,
así como su dedicación a las causas de los derechos de la comunidad auguraban que, investido de poder, continuaría su carrera defendiendo los derechos civiles de todos los ciudadanos al tiempo que mantendría
una obligada coherencia con las organizaciones y los temas comunitarios hispanos que tanto había
defendido.
Se pensaba
que Gonzales no escatimaría
esfuerzo para proteger a las minorías de prácticas discriminatorias en las elecciones y se esperaba su apoyo para
lograr una ley de inmigración justa.
Por su propia
experiencia familiar, Gonzales sabía
que lejos de ser criminales, la inmensa mayoría de los inmigrantes legales e ilegales vienen a este
país a trabajar, a labrarse un porvenir para que sus
hijos y sus nietos tengan éxito
en un lugar tan lleno de oportunidades.
Dos años
después, el desencanto ha sido generalizado. Gonzales no ha
movido un dedo en defensa de la comunidad hispana. Peor aún,
como Procurador de Justicia, Gonzales ha sido un promotor del espionaje telefónico y ha permitido que el FBI, que es parte de su departamento, abuse de sus poderes obteniendo expedientes financieros, telefónicos y de negocios utilizando el Acta Patriótica sin siquiera darles oportunidad de apelación a los investigados.
En vez
de defender los derechos de las
minorías, su récord en materia de elecciones muestra una marcada tendencia
a erosionar el derecho al voto de las minorías y la integridad del sistema electoral.
El último
escándalo en el que
Gonzales se ha visto involucrado
es el despido de ocho fiscales regionales
por lo que aparenta ser una purga política de funcionarios públicos que en el cumplimiento de su deber no se adhirieron a la agenda política
del partido republicano.
El despido
de Carol Lam, la fiscal en San Diego, es quizá el más aberrante.
Lam, quien metió a la cárcel al congresista republicano Randy Cunningham por aceptar millonarios sobornos de contratistas militares, se encontraba en medio de un juicio contra otras figuras importantes
del Congreso, la CIA y otros
proveedores del Departamento
de Defensa cuando se le despidió.
Según la Administración, por descuidar el problema central en la impartición
de justicia en San Diego, que
es la inmigración ilegal. Es decir, se le despide porque en su afán por
perseguir a los verdaderos criminales tenía poco tiempo para
perseguir a quienes vienen a trabajar sin documentos.
Esta semana, en el Congreso se alzaron muchas voces que
piden la renuncia de
Gonzales. El liderazgo latino
debería unirse al clamor. Gonzales
no sólo le ha fallado a su comunidad, le ha fallado al país.
