Hoffa Invites El Salvador AG Martinez To Washington To Discuss Re-Opening Of Soto Assassination Investigation

Latin America - español

Hoffa Hopes New Investigation Will Bring Soto Murderers to Justice

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International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Feb 23, 2015, 03:21 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced that General President James P. Hoffa sent a letter to El Salvador Attorney General Luis Antonio Martinez inviting him to the union's headquarters in Washington D.C., to discuss re-opening the investigation into the assassination of Teamster official Gilberto Soto.

Hoffa sent Martinez the correspondence after not receiving a response from him to a letter regarding the Soto murder he co-signed with 14 internationally-recognized human rights advocates nearly three months ago. The open letter was published in La Prensa Grafica on Nov. 5, 2014, the tenth anniversary of Soto's assassination.

In the new letter, Hoffa reiterates that the human rights advocates were requesting that the attorney general "…work cooperatively with the PDDH and independent human rights organizations to identify those who ordered these crimes and those who covered them up." His letter specifically refers to reports "…that the cover-up included the sexual torture of gang members, while in police custody, in order to extract false and misleading confessions" in the Soto case.

Hoffa is optimistic that he will receive a positive response from the attorney general due to reports from U.S. Rep. James McGovern that Martinez expressed interest in meeting with the Teamster leader. McGovern met with the attorney general shortly after the open letter was published.

"Ten years have passed since Gilberto Soto was murdered in El Salvador and the case still remains unsolved," Hoffa said. "His family deserves closure, and it is my hope that Attorney General Martinez will agree to re-open the investigation and bring Gilberto's murderers to justice."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:
Galen Munroe (202) 624-6911
[email protected]

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SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters