|
Urgent: Verdict is out!  Demonstration held at Public Hearing for 14 people captured in Suchitoto
The 14 detainees and CRIPDES leaders were tried to on Saturday in a Special Tribunal for Acts of Terrorism. Judge Ana Lucila Fuentes de Paz dismissed the charges for 1 detainee, and decreed "Preventative Prison" for 3 months for the other 13, maintaining the terrorism charges and allowing the prosecutors to collect more evidence. Our action is required now, more than ever! Go here for live updates from US-El Salvador Sister-Cities
Take Action to
Demand Immediate Release (see below for updated contact into)
On July 2
the Salvadoran police violently attacked a peaceful protest against water
privatization and arrested 14 people. President Saca was scheduled to announce
water “decentralization” – the first step in the privatization process – in the
town of Suchitoto. A number of campesino, rural
community organizations, women’s groups, and others organized a peaceful
protest.
The police
attacked the protestors around the police station, on the roads, and even chased
people into rural communities. Police pulled four movement leaders out of a
vehicle kilometers away from the protest and arrested them. They attacked other
protestors with rubber bullets and tear gas. In total the police arrested 14
people; another 25 people were injured with rubber bullets, 18 suffered serious
effects of tear gas, 2 were hospitalized, and an undetermined number were beaten
by police officers. For more information, see
June 2 CISPES update.
Today people learned that those
arrested will probably be charged under the new repressive legislation enacted
in the fall to attack social movement organizing, either the anti-terrorism law
or organized crime law or potentially both.
The social
movement in El
Salvador has organized a unified response to
the police violence. Over 60 social movement organizations signed onto a
powerful statement calling for the immediate release of those arrested and for
the Salvadoran government to respect the constitution and therefore the freedom
of speech and the right to protest (that
statement is online here.) The social movement is calling on international
solidarity to send letters and faxes demanding the release of the arrested
protest participants and community leaders.
Take
Action! (contact information has been updated)
1. Educate
yourself about the situation (US
El Salvador Sister Cities has prepared a timeline of events that you can find
here.)
2. Send
four international faxes or emails (sample
letter below).
3. Contact
media that will publicize these events. Contact CISPES or Sister Cities to get telephone interviews and
English-Spanish translation for Salvadoran activists who either witnessed the
events in Suchitoto or who have been involved in the organizing against water
privatization. Contact:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, 212-465-8115 x204 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, or (585)
360-1985.
Your
action is critical to helping defend the right to organize and to showing
solidarity with those who are struggling to keep water accessible and public in
El
Salvador!
Sample
letter to e-mail or fax to President Saca and Minister of Security Rene
Figueroa
Please make
your voice heard!
We are
asking for e-mails, faxes, or phone calls to express concern about the growing
repression of protest in El
Salvador and the violent arbitrary arrests and
to demand respect for the physical and moral integrity of the prisoners and
their immediate release. Please direct your correspondence
to:
All faxes begin with 011 (international code) and then 503 (the El Salvador country code)
Excelentísimo Sr. Elías Antonio Saca, Presidente de El
Salvador:
Telephone (011- 503) 2248-9000.
Fax (011 503) 2243-9947
Email at this website: http://www.casapres.gob.sv/prescartas.htm
Lic. Felix Garrid Safie, Fiscal General de la república
de El Salvador (Attorney General of El Salvador)
Telephone
(country code 503) 2249-8412 / (503) 2249-8749
Fax: (011 503)
2528-6096
E-mail:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Dr. Agustín García Calderón,: Presidente de la Corte
Suprema de Justicia (President of the Supreme Court of El
Salvador)
Telephone :
(011 503) 2231-8300, (503) 2271-8888.
Fax: (011 503) 2243-9930, (503) 22437857.
Web-Page:
www.csj.gob.sv
Charles L. Glazer, U.S. Ambassador to El
Salvador
Tel: (011 503) 2278-4444
Fax: (011 503)
2278-6011
------------------------------------
Sample Letter
(Spanish):
4 de
julio, 2007
(Title and
Name)
Le escribo para expresar mi grave preocupación por las
recientes acciones de represión realizadas en contra de la población rural en el
Municipio de Suchitoto, así como la captura violenta y arbitraria de líderes de
las comunidades.
La desmedida reacción policial se produjo contra la
población en manifestación pacífica contra la privatización del agua, que no es
otra cosa que la expresión legítima de descontento social ante las políticas
anti-populares. Este tipo de acción represiva evidencia la violación de derechos
humanos y amenazas a la libertad de organización y expresión. Los golpes,
capturas, cateos, persecución y sobrevuelo de helicópteros traen a la memoria
los momentos más difíciles para la población rural durante el conflicto armado,
y veo con alarma este retroceso en el proceso de construcción de la democracia
iniciado con los acuerdos de paz.
A la vez quiero denunciar la captura violenta de 14
personas incluyendo líderes de las comunidades y la organización
no-gubernamental, CRIPDES, entre ellos Marta Lorena Araujo, Rosa María Centeno,
María Haydee Chicas, y Manuel Antonio Rodríguez. Exijo para ellos el respeto a
su integridad física y moral, y el proceso justo de ley que lleve a su inmediata
liberación. Tambien me preocupa mucho que el gobierno pueda acusar a las y los
participantes en una manifestación pacifica de terrorismo y crimen organizado –
le urjo a retirar estas acusaciones.
Por último quiero expresar mi solidaridad con las
comunidades rurales y con CRIPDES en su labor a favor del desarrollo social y
económico del país, un trabajo que he visto importante para la construcción de
paz y democracia. Rechazo cualquier alegación directa o indirecta para vincular
a CRIPDES con actividades terroristas, o con el caso de Mario Belloso y los
sucesos del 5 de julio del 2006
Atentamente,
(your
name, affiliation)
-------------------------
Translation (send the
Spanish version, though)
July 4,
2007
(Title and
Name)
I am
writing to express my grave concern about the recent actions of repression
carried out against the rural population in the Municipality of
Suchitoto, as well as the
violent and arbitrary capture of community leaders.
The
disproportionate police reaction against the population came in response to a
non violent protest against the privatization of water, a legitimate expression
of social discontent toward policies that hurt the people. This type of
repressive action gives evidence of the violation of human rights and threats to
the freedom of organization and expression. Beatings, arrests, searches,
persecution and helicopter fly-overs bring to memory the most difficult moments
for the rural population during the past armed conflict, and I am alarmed by
this step backwards in the process of building democracy that was proposed with
the signing of the peace accords.
As well I
want to denounce the violent arrests of 14 people including leaders from the
communities and the non-governmental organization, CRIPDES, among them Marta
Lorena Araujo, Rosa María Centeno, María Haydee Chicas, and Manuel Antonio
Rodríguez. I ask that you respect their physical and moral integrity, and follow
the just process of law that leads to their immediate release. It is also of
extreme concern that the government might charge peaceful protestors with
terrorism and organized crime – I urge you to drop all those
charges.
Finally, I
want to express my solidarity with the rural communities and with CRIPDES in
their work for the social and economic development of the country, which I have
seen to be very important for the construction of lasting peace and democracy. I
reject any direct or indirect allegations that try to link CRIPDES with
terrorist activities, or with the case of Mario Belloso and the events of July
5, 2006.
Sincerely,
(your
name, affiliation)
|
