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[MELEE]

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/letters/story.html?id=e837107f-dc82-4713-8c87-b681c2a61fee

I admit that my news on these topics has mostly come from Mexican sources, but if I'm not wrong the people mentioned in the article broke Mexican laws...

[dixie]

I have not been closely following it, but isn�t it typical for Canadian/American citizens to break the law in a foreign country, and expect their gov�t to swoop in, get them out, and bring them home to return to their "normal" life?

They leave the known (more or less) laws of their own land, and break them elsewhere, yet expect to be treated as an American/Canadian citizen - even if the country where they broke the law has extremely different consequences.

Look at the British teacher who was nearly whipped. Now, it was an accident, but technically she broke the law.

Brenda Martin is accused of something much more involved than the naming of a teddy bear, plus she was working here illegally (
), so it will be interesting to see what happens.

I read the other day in a Canadian news article that IF Stephan Harper (knob that he is), is able to have her brought to Canada to serve her time, then she will likely serve no jail time, because of how much she has all ready served here.

Regardless of what happens, it will be interesting to see....

[Samantha]

Our Canadian press has this magical way of raising hysteria in the country. It's embarrassing because the full story is never out there for Canadians to read. And that's true in every case mentioned in that article. The Canadians, for some reason, expected that our Government should magically interfere in Mexican law and come to the rescue. This, even though the government prints a little pamphlet advising on the dangers of breaking laws in Mexico, outlining how Mexico has a very different legal system.

This Brenda Martin story is quite old news but she is just about to be extradited now. She has been milking the press over the past few months and there has been loads of drama involved. The story began with the arrest of Canadian Alyn Waage who pulled off the biggest internet scam in history, right in Puerto Vallarta. It's a long story getting longer by the week, and one of the players wrote a book two years ago about his involvement before the ladies got arrested. His book is selling like crazy right now.

Bottom line is that Brenda Martin will be extradited to Canada and be set free on time served, thanks to an extradition treaty with Mexico. The person she ratted out and had arrested in an attempt to help her own case is an American, Rebecca Roth from Portland, Oregon, and who is not so lucky. There is no treaty with the USA and she will continue to serve time in Puente Grande outside Guadalajara. Brenda is not such a nice person by all reports of people who know her in Puerto Vallarta, including those who worked with her, yet the Canadians are screaming about this poor innocent woman who has been arrested. (She was found guilty on Tuesday.)

Both she and Rebecca Roth were charged with money-laundering, and the Mexican Government has some strong evidence, even though the Canadian press is spouting the contrary. The American press has been really quiet in this matter, and has written nothing on Rebecca for over a year. She is serving 9 years, and it's her I feel sorry for as she is there as a result of Brenda giving her up. Neither had a work permit to work for this swindler, yet they earned thousands of DOLLARS a month, so it was hard to prove they were "just employees" who knew nothing. On top of that, they each were given a HUGE lump sum payment to deposit into their respective bank accounts. Brenda's severance pay for working only 10 months as a cook after which she was fired...(she couldn't cook, which also looked suspicious later...but that's not why she was fired; it was for being a nasty person) was $27,000 USD. Rebecca claims that $50,000.00 USD deposited in her bank account was for "household expenses" for the month Alyn was jailed in Guadalajara. He skipped bail in Mexico and was arrested in Costa Rica. He spends his time in a US jail which means he won't get out as early as he would have had he done his time in Canada. He got off with a 10 year sentence.

Others fled Puerto Vallarta, never to be seen again. There are still arrest warrants outstanding. The author of The Wanted and The Unwanted is living in Alberta.

[Samantha]

News story from yesterday. Apparently our Canadian Government Foreign Affairs office has a "Distressed Canadian Abroad Fund" which will pay Brenda's fine. Canadian tax dollars at work. And people ask why I prefer to live in Mexico.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080425/martin_cda_080425/20080425?hub=CTVNewsAt11

I found this in another news story today. I wonder if it's interest free.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/418667

[Oreen Scott]

Melee, I believe your question is more to the thought of whether the cases mentioned in the Ottawa Citizen letter to the editor would stop Canadians from coming to Mexico.

I think not.

Perhaps it's because I work for a newspaper, but most of the people I know understand Ms Martin's case sold newspapers . . .so . . . it was good press. Media in free countries are not public utilities, they exist to make a buck.

Brenda Martin had a Canadian friend who knew how to work the media. When the media got a hold of the story it attracted the politicans who then took action.

The problem in Ms. Martin's case was that she languished in prison for two years without due process. The claim is that the Canadian consulate ought to have ensured she had representation from an English speaking lawyer.

I think the Mexican government would agree that Canadian officials were asleep at the switch. And, I believe that the Mexican government is glad to be rid of her.

Once found guilty should she be extradited back to Canada. I think not. Let her serve her time where she did the crime.

That's my take on things anyway.

[Samantha]

Oreen wrote:

[Gab]

That article upset me. Citizens from every country have problems with their governments, yet it seems Mr. Geller is writing Mexico off as a country because of these recent political issues.

He also mentions wanting to live in a ''gated Canadian community'' and spending vacations in resorts. I don't think Mr. Geller knows a thing about Mexican culture, history or traditions.

I'm Canadian myself, but I can admit that issues like this don't exactly make me proud...

[danielita]

It's probably better that Mr. Geller is not returning to Mexico. If someone comes here wanting to live in a $200,000 home in a gated expat community watching NHL hockey games at the local pub, he is not interested in being a part of this amazing country and Mexico is much better off without him.

Jeff Toews was drunk and fell off a balcony in Cancun,
Adam DePrisco got was hit by a car after leaving a nightclub.
The Ianeiro case was never solved, but it goes way beyond just being Canadians on holiday in Mexico.

If he took a rational approach to these stories he would realize that these situations can happen anywhere. It's not like Mexico is targeting Canadians. Let's be honest: what does a Canadian look like? We are white, black, asian, latino, middle eastern, tall, short, fat and skinny.

The biggest problem is that this man put pen to paper and the Ottawa Citizen published it. Shame on them and shame on Mr. Geller for his ignorance.

[Snowmeow]

[Samantha]

Danielita; the ignorance is a bit troubling. Ever since this story turned into a media field day in Canada, when the various news outlets picked it up, various online reader comments following the articles have been eye-opening. It seems large numbers of Canadians feel that when one is charged with a crime or otherwise gets into trouble abroad, the Canadian Government should bail them out. Where does this belief come from? As far as I can see, the Canadian Government does a good job of preparing people for travelling abroad. Many travel agencies in Canada hand out these and similar booklets:
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/pubs/her_own_way-en.asp
Yet, the Canadian Consular agency in my city receives many inquiries from those thinking Canada should assist with their local problems or business dealings when things go wrong.

[Guy Courchesne]

[Guy Courchesne]

I'm from Ottawa, and grew up reading the Citizen. I'm quite pissed off that someone from my town wrote in and was published expressing such ignorant views. If you care like I do, write into the Citizen as I'm doing now to respond to the crap they published. We might be living abroad but we have a voice back home.

[MELEE]

[veroax]

[Guy Courchesne]

Update...

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/05/02/brenda-martin.html