U.S. Congress urges Nicaragua’s Ortega to review Puracal case

Members of U.S. Congress have sent a letter to the
President of Nicaragua, urging that he order an
independent review in the case of a Tacoma man who claims
he has been wrongly imprisoned in the country.

The letter to President Daniel Ortega was signed by 43
members of Congress, including Representative Adam Smith
of Washington, who has demanded that the government show
evidence of Jason Puracal’s guilt or set him free.

Puracal, 35, is a University of Washington graduate who
originally moved to Central America as a member of the
Peace Corps. He was arrested in November 2010 at his home
in San Juan del Sur.

Nicaraguan National Police claim he laundered drug money
through his real estate franchise in the seaside village,
and Puracal was subsequently convicted of drug trafficking
and money laundering. He was sentenced to 22 years in La
Modelo, a dilapidated prison on the outskirts of Managua.

“We wish to convey our serious concern about the trial and
appeal of American citizen, Jason Puracal,” reads the
letter, dated May 9, 2012. It argues that Puracal was
denied due process and is being held in a prison that does
not meet internationally accepted standards of human
rights.

>>Read
letter here

” … there is a compelling need for a thorough and
objective prosecutorial review of Mr. Puracal’s case to
determine his innocence under Nicaraguan law,” the letter
reads.

Pressure appears to be mounting for the Nicaraguan
government in the case, as the California Innocence
Project has taken on the fight to free Puracal, and an
online petition at Change.org has garnered more than
85,000 signatures.