MIAMI, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Lawyers acting on behalf of Eligio Cedeno, a Venezuelan businessman who had been unlawfully jailed without trial for almost three years, confirm that he legally entered the United States, on Dec. 19th to voluntarily submit himself to U.S. jurisdiction. Cedeno was released from detention in Venezuela on Dec. 10th, and subsequently the judge who issued the release order, Maria Lourdes Afiuni, was imprisoned and personally denounced on state television by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Defense counsel for Cedeno firmly deny false claims made to the media today by the Venezuelan government, which is alleging that their client had been "arrested" in the United States or that he had committed a crime.

"Eligio Cedeno, a victim of political persecution by the government of Hugo Chavez, arrived to South Florida on Saturday, Dec. 19th, and is currently in the U.S. after voluntarily submitting himself to U.S. jurisdiction," said Robert Amsterdam, an international lawyer representing Cedeno. "In spreading misinformation about arrests, extraditions, and alleged illegal acts, the Chavez administration is clearly making moves to stake out a position as an aggrieved party, and invent a hyped-up dispute with their favorite imaginary enemy, the United States of America."

Amsterdam continued, "Just consider the facts behind the case: Chavez arrested the judge without reason, personally attacking her and Cedeno and demanding the maximum penalty for her in televised remarks. Three independent human rights experts from a United Nations Working Group then issued a statement condemning the arrest of the judge, and reiterating their opinion that Cedeno was being arbitrarily detained. The Chavez government has a long history of harassing judges and prosecutors involved in this case: one former judge who made only one ruling in Cedeno's favor had to seek asylum in the United States after suffering the attempted kidnapping of her son. Another prosecutor who testified that the detention of Cedeno was groundless was forced out of her job."

"This blatant lie from Chavez and the Ministerio Publico about Cedeno being 'arrested' just goes to show who the real criminals are in Venezuela," concluded Amsterdam.

More information is available at www.robertamsterdam.com and www.eligiocedeno.com.

    CONTACT: James Kimer, +1 917-355-0717, james.kimer@ksocialmedia.com

SOURCE Amsterdam & Peroff

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