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OFFICIAL WEBSITE SUPPORTING CANADIAN WRONGFULLY JAILED IN MEXICO |
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Last year, in 2007, Pavel and I decided to take time off and travel. At that time it seemed to be the right moment with Pavel just having completed his project (building and selling the house) and the children being before school age. The main purpose was to spend time with our children. Especially, it was very important for Pavel as he has been working long hours and he felt that he did not spend sufficient time with our kids. We bought an RV and left Canada on Feb 16/07. In the meantime, we have rented out our home in Vancouver. We crossed the Canada/USA border on Feb 16/07 and drove down Baja to Cabo San Lucas, and then settled in Los Barriles upon a recommendation by a couple we had met in Cabos. We liked this area because of the beautiful nature and its remoteness from touristy places. We enrolled our older daughter Isabella (then 5 yrs old) to Montessori preschool, which she enjoyed. We made many friends. Most of them were people staying in Los Barriles for the winter seasons. Soon we learned that the real estate in this area was booming and we considered the opportunity to invest in real estate (given Pavel’s background in the construction industry). Looking around, we found a small house that seemed to be a good investment. Considering several options such as subdividing the property or renovating the house ourselves and then sell it, we saw it as a good potential especially as this area is a very popular fishing destination almost all year round. We arranged financing thru HSBC in Vancouver and took possession of the house on May 1/07. Luckily, we were able to rent out our house for six months during which we returned to Canada. On Oct 23rd/07 we returned to Los Barriles and on Nov1st /07 moved into our house. Immediately, we enrolled both of our girls in the local preschool, and started the renovations of the house. Also, we spent time looking after our friends visiting us from Vancouver. As Pavel is an avid motocross-biker, he enrolled himself in Baja 300 race (as an individual). During the race, Pavel was introduced to Carlos Herrera by Ron, who runs a quad rental shop in Los Barriles. After the race, Ron organized few more dirt bike rides in the Los Barriles area where Pavel, Carlos and others participated. Los Barriles provides excellent terrain for off road biking and it is a well known location for dirt bike riding. As such, there was always an opportunity to team up even with strangers and go for a ride. Slowly, Pavel befriended Carlos. Carlos introduced himself as Alaska native who immigrated to Mexico with his grandmother; he said that he had very bad childhood, having been abused by his father. He was residing in San Jose with his wife Elena and his four children. Carlos presented himself as a very charming, well spoken, intelligent business man involved with purchasing and selling residential real estate. He did neither drink or smoke; he was very family oriented, always talking about his wife and children. There was not a slightest hint or suspicion on Pavel’s or my part that he might be involved in illegal activities. He implied that he was very poor when he came to Mexico, but had married Elena who was from a wealthy family. After the marriage, Carlos started to work with father-in-law who was an owner of shipping company. Carlos made a good impression on me as well. On March 11th, Pavel was arrested along with Carlos and other Carlos’s acquaintances while sitting at a hot dog stand. Only then Pavel and I learned the true identity of Carlos, aka Gustavo Rivera Martinez, and his criminal activities. Clearly, Pavel happened to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Since, Pavel has been imprisoned in maximum security prison in Guadalajara. He is suffering from chronic stomach pains, largely due to the poor sanitary conditions. I, along with our daughters, have since moved back to Vancouver. It’s been an emotional nightmare for all of us not to mention the financial implications this false imprisonment has caused. As Pavel has been to the sole family provider for more than 6 years, I am experiencing extreme financial difficulties not only covering legal costs associated with Pavel’s arrest, but also covering two mortgages and providing for my family. I have no choice but to rent out my current house in Vancouver and list our house in Los Barriles for sale. Also, I have been forced into part-time employment in the evenings while my friends can provide babysitting for my daughters. I greatly appreciate your time and your support! Jirina Kuliskova | |