In a recent development, Melody González Pedraza, a judge from Villa Clara, Cuba, arrived at Tampa International Airport, Florida, on Thursday morning after securing a travel permit through the Humanitarian Parole program. Upon arrival, she was initially denied entry due to her judicial history in Cuba. However, she requested political asylum and is currently detained awaiting a judicial decision, as confirmed by her sponsor, Roberto Castellón, in a phone call with Martí Noticias.
González Pedraza had previously sentenced four young men, all under 30, to prison terms of three and four years for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at a police jeep and the homes of police and State Security chiefs in Encrucijada, Villa Clara, on November 18, 2022. The trial, conducted by González Pedraza along with judges Marlenis Toriza Rivero and Ana Ivis Rodríguez Rodríguez, was criticized for its reliance on a retracted confession and testimonies from State Security, raising concerns about due process in Cuba.
Martí Noticias revealed that González Pedraza had deleted a social media account where she regularly posted pro-regime propaganda. Mothers of the convicted young men have spoken out against González Pedraza, accusing her of conducting a rigged trial without concrete evidence. Dunia Marisol Rodríguez Milián, mother of Eddy Daniel Rodríguez Milián, one of the convicted youths, expressed her frustration at González Pedraza’s asylum request. She highlighted the injustice of González Pedraza obtaining Parole while her son, who also had Parole, remains imprisoned.
Another mother, Ana Iris Pedraza Balero, condemned the judge’s actions and expressed her hope that the United States would deny her asylum due to her abuse of power in Cuba. She emphasized the need for justice and accountability for González Pedraza’s actions.
The legal process for González Pedraza now involves an interview with immigration officers and possibly a credible fear interview if she demonstrates fear of returning to Cuba. Her asylum request will eventually be decided by an immigration judge, who can either grant asylum or order her expedited deportation to Cuba.
Roberto Castellón, González Pedraza’s sponsor, expressed his dismay at her inclusion in a database of Cuban repressors maintained by the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC). He defended her actions, stating she was merely fulfilling her duties and that she had imposed lighter sentences than what authorities had demanded. Castellón also mentioned that González Pedraza’s brother had recently arrived in the United States via humanitarian parole.
Read the full article in English on martinoticias.com, assisted by Google Translate.