Have you ever dreamed of retiring to a sunny beachside shack in some peaceful Central or Latin American fishing village where you’d sip piña coladas and enjoy the fruits of your life’s labor in relative tranquility? I have and so have many of my friends. But now I’m rethinkingthe wisdom of  expatriating to Central America. 

Eric Volz (right in photo) took an assignment in Nicaragua, fell in love with the country and decided to stay. A surfer turned real-estate broker, he saw himself as a bridge between American baby boomers looking for beachside dream homes and local families of fishermen and laborers in the languid Pacific village of Managua. So the 27-year-old published a successful bilingual magazine called El Puente - literally, The Bridge.

But now he’s tumbled deep into Nicaragua’s cultural divide. He’s several weeks into a 30-year sentence for allegedly killing his former girlfriend, a ruling he says is ludicrous and he is appealing. Numerous eyewitnesses said he was in another town at the time, two hours away from the murder scene and in the company of several people who corroborate his whereabouts at the time of the murder. Yet despite a lack of physical evidence linking him to the crime, the sworn testimony of numerous witnesses who were with him that day, and based solely on the testimony of the admitted drug addict originally charged with the crime (and given immunity with charges dropped in exchange for his testimony against  Eric), a local judge declared Eric guilty and sentenced him to 30 years in a Nicaraguan prison.

If you study the case, presented on a well done website by some of Eric’s friends and appropriately titled “Friends of Eric Volz“ , you’ll realize that a grave miscarriage of justice has occurred and that this young American has been railroaded into a Nicaraguan prison for a crime he couldn’t even possibly have committed. Eric is seeking an appeal. You can help by going to the website, learning about his case, perhaps donating some money to help in his legal defense and, of equal importance, by contacting your elected officials and demanding that our government intervene on Eric’s behalf. Here are links to your congressional representatives:  Senators — Congresspersons

We sometimes forget that the legal systems of poorer countries often leave much to be desired. But when their inequities ensnarl an American, we have to get involved. So I urge you to dedicate the time to learn about Eric’s plight, then get involved - and stay involved - until justice is served.

The video above says a lot, but you need to read the well chronicled case history on the website to fully grasp how egregious the judge’s ruling is and how we cannot allow this young American to languish away in Nicaraguan prison, the victim of a biased and/or corrupt legal system. Imagine yourself in Eric’s shoes. Do your part. Help him receive the justice he deserves.

Thanks Lori for bringing this to my attention!