IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 578 

Calling for the immediate release of Eyvin Hernandez, a United States citizen 

and Los Angeles County public defender, who was wrongfully detained 

by the Venezuelan regime in March 2022. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 11, 2023 

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE (for herself, Mrs. KIM of California, Mr. CASTRO of 

Texas, and Ms. BARRAGA ́N) submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Calling for the immediate release of Eyvin Hernandez, a 

United States citizen and Los Angeles County public 

defender, who was wrongfully detained by the Venezuelan 

regime in March 2022. 

Whereas Eyvin Hernandez has been a public defender for Los 

Angeles County since 2006, dedicating his career to representing the most vulnerable people in the county; 

Whereas Eyvin is a man of impeccable character and a beloved member of his community, admired by many who 

know him for his deep devotion to justice, respect for humanity, willingness to help others, patience, kindness, 

and intellect; 


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•HRES 578 IH 

Whereas Eyvin has volunteered his time to advocate for children in the juvenile justice system, to mentor aspiring 

young lawyers through the Latina Lawyer Bar Association and the University of California, Los Angeles 

(UCLA) Law Fellows Program, and participate in the 

Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Union, Local 148, 

where he previously served on the board of directors; 

Whereas Eyvin Hernandez is an alumnus of the UCLA 

School of Law, where he was associate editor for the 

Chicanx-Latinx Law Review, and of El Camino College, 

UCLA, where he majored in physics and mathematics; 

Whereas Eyvin’s family immigrated to the United States 

when he was a toddler, fleeing the civil war in El Salvador and seeking a better life; 

Whereas, on March 31, 2022, Eyvin Hernandez was captured 

by armed, masked men in the vicinity of the ColombiaVenezuela border, and, once his United States citizenship 

was discovered, was transferred to Venezuela and detained; 

Whereas the Venezuelan regime charged Eyvin with criminal 

association and conspiracy, which could lead to 16 years 

of imprisonment; 

Whereas there has been no serious effort to provide legitimate evidence to corroborate these allegations nor to hold 

trial proceedings to adjudicate his case, highlighting the 

fabricated grounds for Eyvin’s detention; 

Whereas Eyvin was not included in the October 2022 prisoner exchange that allowed 7 Americans imprisoned in 

Venezuela to return home to the United States; 

Whereas the Department of State designated Eyvin Hernandez as wrongfully detained on October 21, 2022; 


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•HRES 578 IH 

Whereas the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs 

attempted to secure Eyvin’s release during his visit to 

Caracas in June 2023; 

Whereas, even in prison, Eyvin has served as an advocate for 

his fellow detained Americans, translating their needs to 

the guards in Spanish and helping them articulate their 

cases to Department of State officials; 

Whereas the Los Angeles County community, including 

Eyvin’s former mentees, colleagues, classmates, friends, 

and family, have created a coalition to advocate for his 

release, highlight the arbitrary and unjust nature of his 

detention, and continue fighting to bring him home; and 

Whereas Eyvin Hernandez is a valued citizen of the city of 

Los Angeles, the State of California, and the United 

States of America: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) calls on the Venezuelan regime to imme3 diately release Eyvin Hernandez from unjust impris4 onment; 

5 (2) urges all United States executive branch of6 ficials, including President Joseph R. Biden, Sec7 retary of State Antony Blinken, National Security 

8 Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Special Presidential 

9 Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, to con10 tinue raising the case of Eyvin Hernandez with the 

11 Venezuelan regime and pressing for his immediate 

12 release; 


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•HRES 578 IH 

1 (3) condemns the Venezuelan regime’s contin2 ued use of detentions of United States citizens and 

3 lawful permanent residents for political purposes; 

4 (4) expresses continued support for all Amer5 ican citizens and lawful permanent residents wrong6 fully detained in Venezuela, along with all other 

7 American citizens and lawful permanent residents 

8 wrongfully detained abroad; and 

9 (5) expresses solidarity with and sympathy for 

10 Eyvin Hernandez, his friends and family, and those 

11 advocating for his immediate release, for the per12 sonal hardship experienced as a result of the arbi13 trary and baseless detention of their loved one. 

Æ 


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