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; 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 Colombia-Venezuela 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; 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 That the House of Representatives— (1) calls on the Venezuelan regime to immediately release Eyvin Hernandez from unjust imprisonment; (2) urges all United States executive branch officials, including President Joseph R. Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, to continue raising the case of Eyvin Hernandez with the Venezuelan regime and pressing for his immediate release; (3) condemns the Venezuelan regime’s continued use of detentions of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents for political purposes; (4) expresses continued support for all American citizens and lawful permanent residents wrongfully detained in Venezuela, along with all other American citizens and lawful permanent residents wrongfully detained abroad; and (5) expresses solidarity with and sympathy for Eyvin Hernandez, his friends and family, and those advocating for his immediate release, for the personal hardship experienced as a result of the arbitrary and baseless detention of their loved one.

Summary: This resolution calls on the government of Venezuela to immediately release Eyvin Hernandez, a U.S. citizen and Los Angeles County public defender, from unjust imprisonment. The resolution urges the President and other U.S. government officials to continue raising the Eyvin Hernandez case to Venezuela and to press for his immediate release. The resolution also expresses support for all American citizens wrongfully detained in Venezuela.