What utter rubbish.The man is an illegal alien subject to detention wherever the government deems fit after, analyzing the security risk level. Inmates have defied prison security and have kill themselves before.If this inmate is on a suicide mission any shrink will tell you, if he is suicidal he may be homicidal and so it is good practice to remove him from general population.Now Mr Comissiong is arguing for him to be release into the Barbados population.
The Barbados population don’t need another illegal alien,especially one who is suicidal .Mr Comissiong is very pro Cuba and he should ask his Comrade Fidel Castro to take the nuisance Garcia.If an inmate acts irrationally believing he is just in killing himself as he thinks he has been wronged; he definitely is not fit for Barbados society.That nuisance relic from the cold war : Castro is the one whose hands this man blood will be on.

So the answer is clear.  Comissiong must go to America, meet with the Cuban community.  While there he can get that community to put pressure on the U.S. government to take Garcia back.  Good luck to you both.

“Comissiong also suggested that Government invites representative members of Garcia’s US based family to come to Barbados to meet with him and to reassure him that serious efforts are being made to bring about a resolution to his predicament”.

I do not agree with your suggestion.  His family appear to be up-to-date with information concerning him. It is simple enough to reassure them from afar that serious effort is being made to resolve said issue. 
When a decision is made, I hope that he can be placed in another facility if that is how things are done by law.  Immigration detainees awaiting deportation are in a sense still “imprisoned”. 

From what you have said it appears that the powers that be need to knock on the doors of the American authorities.
Doesn’t America have some kind of new policy that if you commit a crime in the USA they deport you back to the country of your birth? Even though the crime was committed in Barbados I cannot see the USA re-opening the door to him, but then again they might.  I hope they welcome him back.  They deport people back to the country of their birth; by the same token Barbados should do the same.
I hope this issue is quickly resolved and that he has not damaged his health in any way.

“...remove Raul Garcia from prison immediately and house him elsewhere.”  Elsewhere like where??? At your home Mr. Comissiong?

“... suggested that Government invites representative members of Garcia’s US based family to come to Barbados to meet with him…”  What manner of NONSENSE! If they were interested in meeting with the incarcerated individual they would have bought tickets and come to Barbados! They do not need an ‘invitation letter’!

@J. Payne, Comissiong does not have to take the trip to America, he can go up by the American Embassy in Wildey and picket with the Guyanese! The embassy is on American soil! No need for a visa!

Whatever “medications” this man was dealing with we all know who got some of it! Cause he is not chanting with sense!

This time, I agree with you Mr Commissiong only that he needs to be removed from HM Prison.  None of those opposing would want to know that they or their relatives remain in jail a day beyond the expiration of their sentence.  Immigration Department should now responsible for him and I believe they have some sort of holding bay at the airport. Why should our limited Prison Officers have to still guard this man?  I would not suggest that he is released anywhere in Barbados, but I am willing to bet that if they did, he would not be interested in living here and would eventually ‘escape our shores’. What a great adios that would be! Despite our shortcomings as Bajans, we don’t want other countries washing their mouths on us, that is why our Government needs to make a valient effort to get Mr Garcia out of here. Let me say also that I have some reservations about this hunger strike business. Those people have a different sort of resilience to Bajan men who love their bellies bad, but at the same time, using this sort of ruthless method or even tactic to forge a point, hurts no one but yourself.  I know it is unlikely he can go anywhere near USA, that is understandable, but your comments on national security of Cuba jump out at me, Mr Commisiong. So what about us?

It seems Mr. Frank Husbands is so keen to attack Comissiong and Cuba that he doesn’t have time for the facts.  Garcia’s prison term has expired; he’s no longer an illegal alien. And Comissiong didn’t say to release him into the Barbadian population.

@frank husbands.. as we use this format.. we take the opportunity to express our opinions ,points of view and perspectives relating to current affairs,when we do such we are actually painting a picture of our selves ..our values and our understanding of the issues at hand..1 if a person has served his sentence. it is wrong in the sight of humane law to continue his detention.question to you..was rosa parks suicidal when she sat in the front of the bus the bus? if in your opinion she was, does that make her homicidal. where in the article did the esteemed attorney asked that garcia be allowed in barbados population. what we should be exploring the need for such places that mr. commisong speaks of ,where a person can be humanely housed while discussions and negotiations are in process,it would create employment, and develope public relations.YOUR OPINION COUNTS.with the right to an opinion comes a responsibility..as we read your comments we get a view of your character, i ask you to take time out to “put yourself in our
[readers} place . and then let us know how you should think of the writer

@ Frank Husbands: What security risk? Is he a terrorist?  Should he be deemed a flight risk even if we don’t want him here? Should we be afraid of the people whose drug money he might have lost 15 years ago coming in here after him? We are beating up ourselves assuming that Barbados will have to house him. We don’t even know whether he has expressed a desire to remain here and I doubt he is interested. Not everybody wants to remain here, not even some of our own returning nationals are able to resettle comfortably. He is of a different culture and I am sure he will life in Barbados too dull and slow for his pace.
I bet if we let him out on the tarmac and blink twice we won’t even see which side he gone along.  I bet if we house him somewhere it won’t be too long before he is missing alive and not in Barbados either.
Waiting for my licks.

So you think USA will take him Mr Comissiong? Just a dumb question!!

@Wayne Husbands
Perhaps David Comissiong should have named the facility in which the government should place Raul Garcia.

Just asking, does this man have another charge to answer,  entering Barbados on a false Colombian passport?  I think I read somewhere and that this was only discovered after he was released and taken to the airport for deportation that he admitted to this?  This problem is of this man’s making .  While I understand that he has done his time and should be released there is nowhere to release him to, that is the problem .  So until a country is found for him, he should be held somewhere where the authorities can monitor and process his case in accordance with the immigration/deportation laws of Barbados. If Dodds is that place so be it.

If Mr Comissiong believes that the USA is more responsible for this man than Cuba then he should tell the family to the bombard the USA authorities just like they are doing to Barbados.  I am sure they will get a sympathetic hearing especially since he was a good law abiding citizen when he was there!!!

i try to gather evidence and information, then formulate an opinion. i find that allows me to support my opinion without predjudice.it appears if and when i do it opposite way. my energies are expended proving who’s right as opposed to what’s right.@ kay rani.what i noted was that there was a need for such a place.there is no such place available as yet.@ frank husbands,it appears you are so blinded by your predjudices that you would rather defend your opinion regardless of the facts than to realize that the facts surrounding the case could/should influence your opinion.As times changes ,our needs changes..this is an opportunity to contact your minister and express the need for such a place

PT II. @Tanya Forde
The United States does not grant these Cubans citizenships but it uses a loop hole in law where they become “Stateless persons” living in America.  The U.S. doesn’t send them back for fear they’ll be “tortured” for leaving Cuba.  Now, when Mr. Garcia left America and went to Barbados and committed a Crime he may have inadvertently deported himself from America.  Since he didn’t have status there he’s not likely to be let back in unless the American public demands to their officials to allow him back to America.  This is an election year so if Mr. David Comissiong wants to create that ground swell of support in America’s Cuban-America population around Miami that is the best way for him to do it.  Meeting around the embassy only tells the Secretary of State what his demands are, it doesn’t build the ground support that he’s going to need to get Garcia back in America, because as America is concerned they just shut their borders to a convicted criminal that wants to move back-in at them.

PT I. @Tanya Forde. The problem is you’re asking two countries to go against their laws. My understanding of this situation is that Mr. Garcia left Cuba years ago and went to America.  America does indeed have a policy where if a Cuban national survives the 90 mile boat trip to America they are allowed to stay in America if their feet touch American soil.  (It is a matter of conjecture if piers or wharves are admissible in court though.)

SOME OF YOU need to read today’s (Thursday) editorial, it put things in a much more clearer and balanced light.