Cardinal Urosa: «Pena-Esclusa is innocent»
Cardenal Jorge Urosa
Venezuelan Cardinal Jorge Urosa told known journalist Macky Arenas on Radio Venezuela that Alejandro Pena-Esclusa -who is nowadays unjustly incarcerated- is innocent and should be released.
The full text reads:
«I am Cardinal Urosa Savino. I advocate for the liberation of Alejandro Pena-Esclusa, because I have the moral certainty that he is innocent of the crime he is charged with.»
«Although we have not spoken for more than ten years, I know him as a man of peace and democracy.
Alejandro Pena-Esclusa’s attitude is of opposition to the government, but within the framework of the constitution and laws, within the democratic spirit. »
«I have the moral certainty that he is not a terrorist and that he has not been involved in any assassination plot. I believe in the word of his wife, who spoken of irregularities at the time of the raid at his home. He was not allowed to have known witnesses at that time, nor the presence of his lawyer. And more significantly, who in their right mind would think that Alejandro Pena-Esclusa is going to have C-4 explosive in his daughter’s room? »
«We could be in the presence of a trial, similar to the case of the murder of (attorney) Danilo Anderson (2005), when a ‘key witness’ was proven to be a false one.»
«For these motives, for humanitarian reasons and for the need of defending due process, I think Alejandro Pena-Esclusa must be released.»
This is the second time that Cardinal Urosa calls for the release of Pena-Esclusa.
