Paraguayan's Execution Haunts U.S.
The execution of Paraguayan Angel Breard at a Virginia prison sparked an international uproar.
"It is evident that a violation of international treaties and of human rights does still take place bereft of any compassion," said Paraguayan consular official Ricardo Aquino Caballero.
An international treaty gives all citizens—including Paraguayans—the right to ask for help from their consulates if they are under arrest in a foreign country.
The trouble is that Virginia police forgot to tell Breard about that right. Paraguay says it would have advised him to accept a plea to avoid the death penalty, but never got the chance.
Each year millions of Americans travel abroad. Law experts fear that if America is seen as not respecting international law the rights of its citizens overseas could be ignored as well.
"The United States loses its credibility what comes around, goes around and the United States will at some point lose the political capital it relies on to make its wishes felt," said international law expert Ralph Steinhardt.
American journalist Richard Choi worries too. He knows firsthand the terror of being arrested in a foreign land.
Last December, while visiting South Korea for work, he was arrested after broadcasting a report criticial of a state-run newspaper. American embassy officials helped broker his release.
"I was so relieved and they gave me a lot of help and it was so nice," said radio talk show host Richard Choi.
The State Department is now scrambling to remind local authorities of their international obligations. Still, the true impact of the Breard case may not be noticed until the next American winds up behind bars in a strange land.
©1998 CBS Worldwide Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report