ree months. Peru has built a special prison just for people accused of terrorism or treason. It is at a high altitude, averaging about 40 degrees Fahrenheit with no heat. Politically connected terrorists are spared Peru's rough treatment. In 1994, a death squad connected to the military was convicted of murdering nine university students. They went to a comfortable jail for a short sentence. In Venezuela Vagrants Laws were designed to keep "undesirables" off the streets. Police can arrest anyone whose behavior is considered criminal suspect. According to human-rights activists, street people, often mentally ill or alcoholic, are the traditional targets. Imagine walking down the street and being stopped by police. They arrest you and throw you into a cell, where you remain for five, possible ten, years. Your crime: A police officer doesn't like the way you look. Your defense: you have none. You are just "suspicious." This is a real situation in Venezuela where 93 men and women are in prison for never having committed a crime or even being accused of committing one. The law's real crime is the penalty. A prison sentence of up to five years, which can be extended if a judge finds the person likely to commit a crime upon release. The Vagrants Law violates Venezuela's own constitutional guarantee to due process yet it is still in effect more than 50 years after it was implemented. Any Venezuelan will tell you that there are two types of justice--one for those with money and one for those without. "If you have dark skin and you are from the barrio, you will go to jail and you're forgotten," says one human rights lawyer. Concern for the rights of the poor is not a popular cause in Venezuela--it doesn't reap any political favors or money. Judges and police accept bribes for case dismissal. Physical appearance, social status, and an address in a good suburb is enough to guarantee bail regardles...
