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Triston Jay Amero [aka Lestat Montevideo]
Everyone at the Foreign Prisoner Support Service wish to extend our deepest sympathies to Triston's mother who never gave up the fight for her son's rights. Lestat passed away in prison on March 31, 2008. Even despite the greatest moments of despair and adversity, Dawna continued to endure the pain and anguish of fighting a fight that, to many, seemed so very hopeless. Prisoners rights ought to be protected no matter who they are, where they are, or what they are accussed of doing. A fair judicial process should be right of every citizen of the world. Sadly, it isn't. We hope that Dawna will continue to be strong and that the light she shines for others will burn brightly, so others don't have to walk in complete darkness.
Our deepest sympathy.
Detained: Triston Jay Amero [aka Lestat Montevideo]
Born: September 13, 1981
Citizen: United States
Comments: Lestat as he prefers to be called is detained in La Paz prison Bolvia. He is facing a possible thirty year sentence if convicted of the allegations against him that state he was detained for bombing a hostel that killed two people and injured at least 6.

Lestat's mother Dawna is continuing to support her son as best she can and we hope that people visiting this site will be considerate to the emotional turmoil she endures. It is a terrible burden she must bare. As a mother who has done her best despite overwhelming difficulties, she needs no condemnation from those who know nothing of the difficulties she has faced. Lestat will be judged accordingly and then his fate decided. His mother will carry this burden for the rest of her days. Let those who are with compassion show her some and help her carry this heavy load.

Contact, Letter Writing & Resource Information
There are of course some basic guidelines for writing letters to prisoners detained in foreign prisons and FPSS can discuss these with you if you choose to write to a prisoner. Above all, you should always be polite, never discuss a prisoner’s case, or insult the authorities or the judicial process that is detaining the prisoner. Letters should be simple, positive and uplifting at all times, never political or offensive.

If you would like to write a letter of support to Lestat please contact FPSS here.

Prison Address

Lestat Montevideo is currently detained at Chonchocoro Prison in Bolivia.

    Direccion de Regimen Penitenciario
    Avenida Arce 2463
    La Paz, Bolivia
    Attn: Lestat Claudius de Orleans y Montevideo
    Carcel Chonchocoro.

Telephone Contact

    FPSS understand that Lestat can receive telephone calls at the prison Monday-Sunday between 1400/2:00 and 1500/3:00PM. The guards do not speak English, so a Spanish speaking translator is necessary.

Legal Support

    The public defenders handling his case are: Dr. Denis Rodas & Dr. Raul Ferreira Lestat spoke with both of them on Friday, using the cell phone of the Amercian Citizens Service Officer. Details are on file with FPSS.

    Mr Paul Wolf, US Attorney has been engaged by Lestat's mother Dawna. See his open letter [in the updates] to the First Secretary of the Embassy of Bolivia - 5 August 2006 to which he has given FPSS permission to post and circulate as required.

    CONSULAR INFORMATION [US]

    • Consular Information Sheet
    • Overseas Citizen Trust - The American Citizen Services also advise that they are able to set up the Overseas Citizen Trust to begin providing dietary supplements for Lestat, as is the case when providing support to all American citizens detained in foreign prisons. The instructions for this are at the following link:
    • click here

    US STATE DEPARTMENT'S HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT

      There is significant information about the Bolivian criminal justice system in the State Department's Human Rights Report on Bolivia. That document is posted at this linkclick here- US State Department Website

    Bolivian Resources

      Bolivian Red Cross
      Address Avenida Simón Bolívar N° 1515
      La Paz
      Postal Address Casilla No. 741
      Contact Information Tel: (591) (2) 202930/202934/8129275
      Fax: (591) (22) 359102
      E-Mail: [email protected]
      Web:

      https://www.cruzrojaboliviana.org/

      Please be advised that all correspondence should be in Spanish.

Updates on this Case
American, Uruguyan sentenced for Bolivian hotel blasts

Lestat Claudius de Orleans gets escorted by police after his arrest in March 2006 in La Paz, Bolivia.
(CNN) -- An American man and a Uruguyan woman were sentenced to prison Tuesday night for their roles in deadly bombings at two hotels in Bolivia, the Bolivian news agency reported.

The March 2006 blasts at two hotels in La Paz killed two people.

Lestat Claudius de Orleans, 26, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for crimes of terrorism and murder, according to a report carried by the Bolivian Information Agency. A court also sentenced Alda Ribero Costa, 47, to prison for her role in the dynamite bombings, the agency said.

The March 2006 explosions at two hotels in the Bolivian capital, La Paz, killed two people and exacerbated tensions between Bolivia and the United States. The news agency did not mention a motive for the bombings.

Washington attorney Paul Wolfe, who represents de Orleans, had raised concerns about a fair trial after Bolivian President Evo Morales made statements about the case.

"The prosecutors are under significant pressure to find [him] guilty because the president of Bolivia publicly announced that he is guilty," Wolfe wrote in an August 2006 letter to Bolivian authorities.

The letter is posted on the Web site of the Foreign Prisoner Support Service, which describes itself as a "volunteer prison advocacy service to families whose loved ones are interned in foreign countries."

Morales spoke out shortly after the bombings nearly two years ago.

"This American was putting bombs in hotels," Morales said, according to an Associated Press report from 2006. "The U.S. government fights terrorism, and they send us terrorists."

The attorney's letter says Morales' comments "endangered the life" of his client.

  • Click Here for full story

US Citizen Imprisoned in Bolivia Deserves a Fair Trial

My son, Lestat Claudius de Orleans y Montevideo, stands accused of blowing up two hotels in La Paz, Bolivia, and is about to be summarily judged for crimes he says he did not commit. My son has never committed a crime of violence against any person in his life.

Lestat was arrested on the night of the bombings. After hours of interrogation, a confession was beaten out of him. The next day, Bolvian President Evo Morales announced to his country that my son was guilty. Since then, various Bolvian officials, including the Minister of the Interior, have gone so far as to accuse my son of being a CIA agent. The Bolivian government has used my son's case to enact new laws requiring US citizens entering Bolivia to obtain visas, even though Lestat did not en ter Bolvia with a US passport, and even though he applied for political asylum there. He was not hiding from anyone, was not working for the CIA or for the US government in any way, and had no reason at all to blow up Bolivian hotels. My son's trial is politically motivated - this is clear from the statements of President Morales and other Bolvian officials.

My son has no lawyer. If he has a court appointed lawyer, he does not know who he is. Although my son was not present at a hearing last week to select jurors for his case, the lawyer for his common law wife and co-defendant, Alda Ribiero, filed a motion to recuse the judge, on the basis that she was not allowed to question any of the jurors, and that a representative of President Morales was sent to the court to oversee the juror selection process. My son has tried to file numerous pro se moti ons, which the court will not accept. In particular, he has asked that the case be transeferred to another city, such as Potosi. He cannot get a fair trial in La Paz because of the political pressure brought to bear by the President. When Lestat was brought to the scene of the crime to "reinact" it, he was attacked by an angry mob which hurled stones at him, believing the President's declarations that my son is guilty. Many of the prisoners in the Chonchocorro prison believe what Mr Morales says, and my s on's life is in danger as a result. Most recently, my son has spent that last 90 days or so in solitary confinement, in a 6 by 6 cell in the dark, with a small hole cut into the floor in one end as a latrine. He has not been allowed a shower during that time.

Our immediate problem is to find someone who can observe the trial and write about it. Ideally we would like to obtain a transcript of the trial, but understand this is probably not possible even if the trial is recorded. We understand it is not permissible to tape record proceedings. Therefore, we need a person to attend the trial, which may occur within the next week, and take notes. We doubt the trial will take more than one day, if that long. Lestat, and his wife Alda, are each facing 3 0 years in prison. If you think you may be able to help, please contact Dawna Scheda at __530-626-4811 or at this email address

Thank you

Lestat Montevideo Campaign UPDATE 14 August 2006

FPSS wishes to announce that Mr. Paul Wolf, US Attorney, contacted us last week to inform us that he is providing legal assistance to Lestat's mother, Dawna in the hope of ensuring her son is given a fair trial in Bolivia. The following is an open letter to the First Secretary of the Embassy of Bolivia - 5 August 2006 to which Mr. Paul Wolf has given FPSS permission to post and circulate as required. We are indeed grateful that Mr. Paul Wolf has offered his support. He has a wealth of experience as an advocate of international law.

Paul Wolf has worked on about a dozen political asylum cases of Africans and Colombians and is a contributor to the DC Bar Pro Bono Asylum Training Program. He has an interest in alien tort claims and believes that many victims of atrocities committed overseas could bring cases in U.S. courts. He has written an article titled 'Vienna Convention Warnings' that showed arrested non-citizens must be advised of their right to meet with consular officials. Unfortunately, the U.S. has recently abrogated this treaty, leaving U.S. citizens traveling abroad at risk of incommunicado detention by foreign government authorities. Paul Wolf is fluent in Spanish which no doubt will be another tremendous attribute in assisting Lestat in what many have deemed to be an uphill struggle.

FPSS would like to call on its members to support US Attorney Paul Wolf as he embarks on a journey to protect and uphold the integrity for a just trial, open and fair, for Triston Jay Amero, in accordance with article 10 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights ..."Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him."

Click Here for more information

Lestat Montevideo Campaign May 2006 update

Triston Jay Amero's [aka Lestat Montevideo]

Dawna wrote to FPSS with a brief update on the case. She says that things are not going too well for him in Bolivia. He had a hearing of sorts, where the prosecutor did a reconstruction of events at the crime scene. There was a large angry crowd who pelted stones at Triston and his Public Defenders. They were demanding his death. We are uncertain what injuries Triston sustained but it would appear obvious that despite the allegations against Triston, it would be most unlikely that he will receive a fair trial.

Imagine the heartbreak of his mother at not being able to help her son who is detained in a foreign country. Dawna is trying desperately to keep her mind focussed on what needs to be done and hopes that people will come to her aid in such a desperate time.

Appeal from the family

The family urgently require local support to assist with the delivery of food and basic supplies. The prison system does not cater well for prisoners and without local support, life is extremely difficult. The family are also trying to raise money for whatever need may arise, such as paying for an attorney and paying the compensation that will most likely be imposed at the time of sentencing. If there are any groups nearby the prison that might offer spiritual counselling or humanitarian aid, then we urge you to contact us or the American Citizen Services regarding this case.

'Thank you all for your support with this. It has been heartbreaking for us. We feel completely helpless. Please keep your thoughts with Triston. Take care' says Dawna.

Lestat Montevideo Campaign Update 28 March 2006

In a tragic turn of events, FPSS is informed that Lestat Montevideo and his girlfriend, Uruguayan Alda Riveiro, are alleged to have blown up two buildings in La Paz Bolivia earlier this week. Two people died and at least 6 were injured when the explosions destroyed a hostal used by foreign tourists. FPSS has, via the US State Department, expressed its sincerest condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the incident.

FPSS also contacted Lestat's mother [Dawna] in the United States, knowing that she would be devestated by the news of what her son had been accused of doing. Dawna was having a very difficult time coming to terms with the news and is continuing to fight to ensure her son is given a fair trial and immediate medical treatment.

Lestat is being held at this time at a prison in Chonchocoro. He is being charged with murder.

22 March 2006, the US State Department wrote to Dawna with the information that she urgently needed, in particular, the list of attorneys and the contact for the American Citizens Services in La Paz.

FPSS would like to acknowledge the American Citizens Services for its speedy response and support to Dawna. In particular, Mr. Marshall Derks, American Citizen Services Specialist [Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela] whose support has inspired Dawna, a sole parent, to become a little more encouraged at being able to handle such a difficult situation.

"They [State Department] have visited Lestat and said he appears to be ok. They have taken him a mattress, blanket, food and water for a week. I guess there is not safe drinking water in this prison. The money I sent for him via the State Deptartment was given to the Public Defender. I hope that this will help my son. The State Department are familiar with FPSS and were glad to see you may be of help. Thank you again." Dawna

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.

Bolivia Investigates Terrorist Actions

Claudio Lestat d´Orleans
La Paz, Mar 23 (Prensa Latina) Bolivian security services continue Thursday inquiring into the two terrorist bombings that killed two people, although US Claudio Lestat d´Orleans and Uruguayan Alda Riveiro confessed after being caught with a great deal of incriminating evidence.

Deputy Government Minister Rafael Puente called D´ Orleans, 25, a psychopath, while asserting the couple, arrested Wednesday, planned to murder 200 people in similar attacks, including the Chilean Consulate in La Paz.

Police Chief Isaac Pimentel said there are signs that the actions could have had religious motives as D´ Orleans appeared as a priest of pagan rites.

The US citizen will be jailed at Chonchocoro high security prison and Riveiro at this capital´s women jail to wait for the trial.

Lestat Montevideo has been released from prison!
22 December 2005

FPSS has received great news from Dawna, the mother of Lestat Montevideo detained in Argentina.

'Dear Kay, I received word today that Lestat has been released from prison in Argentina. I do not have full details yet, but it a great relief for us to know he is out. I again want to thank you for all of the hard work you have done on our behalf. I know it has been a very difficult case and all the information you provide was a great help. Please thank all those who wrote letters to Lestat and kept us in their thoughts. Have a wonderful Holiday season. Love Dawna'

FPSS would especially like to acknowledge the tremendous support given to this case from members of the US Embassy and US State Department. Throughout the entire ordeal their staff have shown great consideration to Dawna and frequently kept her and FPSS up-to-date. It has been a long and difficult journey but we are especially thankful to the following US State Department and Embassy staff for their efforts.

    Ms. Charnae L Morris
    Ms. Karen Swaner
    Alexandra Castellanos
    Susana Glucksmann
    Patricia Gras
    Alejandra Pawlyszyn

FPSS would also like to sincerely thank the Argentinean authorities and prison officials for their efforts in relation to this case. It has been a difficult matter but we are grateful for the way in which it has finally been resolved. We hope that Lestat will be able to live a positive and productive life and to never forget the lessons he has learned from this whole experience.

Our thoughts and best wishes to his mother, Dawna. May you have a wonderful journey ahead!

29 October 2005

Today Lestat's mother [Dawna] contacted FPSS with this latest update. Parts of the letter have been withheld for privacy reasons. If anyone in Argentina is able to assist please contact FPSS.

'Dear FPSS, I wanted to let you know that I called the prison today and was able to speak with Lestat very briefly. He is still being held in isolation and not so well. He says he is sleeping on the floor with no blanket and gets minimal food. He is getting some mail and I have been sending mail registered and he is getting that and he says he got a letter from someone who wrote from FPSS. I have sent pesos [local currency] in the registered mail and he says they [guards] let him keep half, although I don't know if it does any good. He again gave permission for FPSS to help him and share information... He says at this time he cannot receive any packages but really is in need of supplies. I think he meant by mail or in person. He thinks he will be held in this cell until the middle part of December. I let him know the Embassy says they will visit in November. He seemed to be glad of this. At least I know he is still alive and is trying to be strong and not lose hope. Take care, Dawna.'

13 September 2005

FPSS wrote to a number of International organisations and inclusive the US State Department on behalf of Lestat’s mother to seek support for Lestat. The charges are yet to be confirmed but a public defender has been appointed to the case. The US Embassy is closely monitoring the judicial process and will advise in due course.

29 September 2005

Dawna notified FPSS that she was able to get through to the prison in San Salvador [Argentina] where Lestat is currently detained and spoke to her son briefly via telephone.

14 October 2005

US Embassy contacts Dawna and FPSS advocate to confirm that better strategies for communication with Lestat need to be developed. The Embassy plans to visit the prison on November 11, 2005. The Embassy hopes to identify a local organization that will take care packages to Lestat on behalf of his family. The Embassy will contact the prison to clarify its policy on both incoming and outgoing phone calls. The US Embassy in Buenos Aires is about 800 miles from the prison but the Consular officers are diligent in their support to US Citizens detained abroad.

16 October 2005

FPSS has identified a number of organisations that might assist with the delivery of care packages. This information has been given to the US Embassy Consular Staff.

FREEDOM IS A RIGHT OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS IN A WORLD WHERE LIFE IS VALUED AND PEACE MAY FINALLY BE A POSSIBILITY
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