Florida Governor Jeb Bush said he is satisfied with the steps taken by the Bahamian government in the investigation into the incident of the alleged attack on an American reporter at the Carmichael Detention Centre.
The governor in his first official visit to the Bahamas yesterday, met with Prime Minister Perry Christie to address a number of issues of mutual concern to both Florida and the Bahamas.
Among concerns topping the agenda was the incident of February 7, in which it is claimed that Mario Vallejo – a reporter with Spanish-language news channel Univision – was beaten by a Defence Force officer for filming outside the Detention Centre compound.
Governor Bush said yesterday he was “satisfied with the feelings I have expressed on behalf on a lot of people from Florida and that they were listened to attentively by the prime minister and his team- which is all I can ask.”
“With the clear understanding that this is an important issue and there’s a willingness to resolve it. That is all that I asked for, and that’s what I got and I’m very appreciative” he said.
According to witnesses, US reporter Vallejo was hit in the face with a baton while using a public pay phone outside the Detention Centre compound.
Vallejo was covering the reunion of seven Cubans, rescued two weeks ago from Elbow Cay, and their relatives who flew in from Miami to meet them.
Reports of the incident in US newspapers and on television sparked protests by Cuban activists and threats of a boycott against the Bahamas.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell met with US Ambassador John Rood and representatives from the Ministry of Immigration, and Defence Force on the matter last Friday.
The results of this meeting, he told The Tribune earlier, will be forwarded by Ambassador Rood to the three Congressmen who had written to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice requesting her to intervene in the alleged beating.
By KARIN HERIG, Tribune Staff Reporter
