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The Canada Parole Board rejected the request for early release from Guillermo Valle-Quintero, a 61-year-old Cuban declared a “dangerous offender,” whose convictions include attempted murder, extreme domestic violence, and death threats, reported the newspaper Toronto Sun.
Valle-Quintero, who emigrated to Canada in 1997 after marrying a Canadian tourist, was sentenced to indeterminate imprisonment in 2015 for the brutal assaults committed against two women in that country.
His history of violence began shortly after his arrival, and his danger has been such that even the pleas for clemency from one of his victims could not prevent him from being classified as a public threat.
The Valle-Quintero case has shaken Canadian public opinion for years. In 1998, just a year after arriving in the country, he attempted to murder his lover. He ambushed her in her car, covered her mouth and nose with tape, placed a bag over her head, bound her, and locked her in the trunk of the car. The woman managed to escape thanks to a desperate maneuver that drew the attention of other drivers.
Far from reforming after being sentenced to over 11 years for that attempted murder, Valle repeated violent patterns with another partner. Between 2010 and 2011, he repeatedly assaulted a second victim, who documented her injuries with videos out of fear that he would kill her. “I kept evidence because I thought I wouldn’t survive,” she told authorities.
Both women remain under judicial protection and their identities are kept anonymous.
A violent past, even before Canada
According to court documents, Valle-Quintero already had a criminal record in Cuba, including offenses such as pimping, theft, and burglary.
It was precisely in a Cuban resort that he met the Canadian woman who sponsored his emigration. Just a month after stepping on Canadian soil, he was already involved in a parallel relationship with another woman, and a cycle of abuse began that would last for years.
The judges have emphasized in their rulings the manipulative nature of the aggressor. Despite the violence inflicted, he was able to emotionally influence his victims to the point that one of them testified in his favor in an attempt to reduce his sentence.
“That only confirms the level of psychological control he exercised,” concluded Judge Ron Minard during the sentencing in 1999.
He wants to return to Cuba, but Canada does not allow it
Valle-Quintero has expressed his desire to be deported to Cuba or transferred to a Cuban prison. However, by law, he could only be expelled if granted full parole, something that the parole board has once again firmly denied.
The latest report highlights that the aggressor continues to show no remorse or willingness to change. “He has significant self-control issues, does not participate in rehabilitation programs, does not present a viable release plan, and still blames his victims,” the decision states.
Although deportation could still be considered in the future under certain immigration processes, for now, Valle-Quintero will remain in indefinite custody in Canada.
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