Take Action against Violence towards Community Leaders in Cabañas!
CONTACT THE SALVADORAN AUTHORITIES TO DEMAND AN EXHAUSTIVE INVESTIGATION!!!
Community leaders from the region of Cabañas have come under serious threat:
- On July 2nd, the body of Marcelo Rivera, community leader from San Isidro, Cabañas, who had disappeared on June 18 and was found, tortured and murdered. Marcelo was an environmental activist, opposing mining in the region and denouncing electoral fraud in the municipality in January 2009. While there are four gang members who are considered suspects for the crime, there has been no investigation into the intellectual authors of the crime, who potentially hired the gang members to kill Marcelo. To learn more watch the video "The mysterious death of Marcelo Rivera."
- On July 27th, three journalists from Radio Victoria, who had been reporting on Marcelo's case, received intensifying death threats, telling them that they would "end up like Marcelo."
- On July 28th, Father Luis Quintanilla, the priest who works with the community of Santa Marta and advocates for human rights in the region, was attacked after doing a radio show on Radio Victoria. Father Luis narrowly escaped a kidnapping and assassination attempt.
- On July 29th, a community leader in Santa Marta, the director of ADES, and a number of social organizations in Cabañas all received death threats.
- On August 7th, Ramiro Rivera, another community leader who has actively participate in the anti-mining movement was shot 8 times. Ramiro survived but is in serious condition.
- Staff members of Radio Victoria have continued to receive death threats in August.
To learn more about these cases:
Read the Human Rights Watch news "El Salvador: Investigate Killing of Community Leader"
Read "Pacific Rim silent in the wake of violence against anti-mining protesters in Cabañas, El Salvador" by Jason Wallach
These violent events show an attempt to intimidate social leaders in Cabañas and stop them from organizing. The Attorney General's Office must do a true investigation into the intellectual authors of the violence and threats in Cabañas!
CONTACT THE SALVADORAN AUTHORITIES!
Email the Attorney General's Office and Police authorities:
astor.escalante@fgr.gob.sv,
fatima.guardado@fgr.gob.sv,
Elopez@fgr.gob.sv,
laidlawpg@state.gov,
joseph_4567@hotmail.com,
alberto.uribe@fgr.gob.sv,
violetapolanco@pnc.gob.sv
angel.manzano@pnc.gob.sv,
radelgado@fgr.gob.sv,
Or fax
503-2523-7170: National Attorney General's Office
Sample email/ fax (see English translation below):
Estimadas Autoridades:
Como miembro de la comunidad internacional, quiero expresar mi profunda preocupación por los recientes hechos de violencia contra líderes sociales en Cabañas: El secuestro y brutal asesinato del activista Gustavo Marcelo Rivera; las amenazas de muerte a periodistas de Radio Victoria, al director de la Asociación de Desarrollo Económico y Social Santa Marta (ADES) y a varios líderes comunitarios de Cabañas; el sabotaje al sistema electrónico de Radio Victoria; y los intentos de asesinato de los líderes comunitarios, Padre Luis Quintanilla y Ramiro Rivera.
Considero que existen suficientes evidencias para presumir que el asesinato de Marcelo Rivera y los demás crimenes están relacionados y forman parte de una campaña para intimidar a las organizaciones sociales en Cabañas. Es preocupante que la Fiscalía esté adjudicando a priori estos crímenes a la violencia común, ignorando las evidencias y antecedentes presentados que indican la naturaleza política de los eventos.
Por lo tanto como miembro de la comunidad internacional, hago un llamado para que la Fiscalía General de la República realice una investigación imparcial, exhaustiva y efectiva de todos estos casos, para dar con los autores intelectuales y materiales de estos crímenes y garantizar así la protección de los líderes sociales en la región. De quedar estos eventos en la impunidad, se estaría generando un clima de temor e incertidumbre para los demás líderes comunitarios, contrarrestando así los avances logrados en el proceso de democratización del país.
Agradezco de antemano sus gestiones para agilizar las investigaciones y espero que pronto se haga justicia en estos casos y se brinde protección a las víctimas y reparación a los familiares de Marcelo.
Your Name
Translation of Email:
As a member of the international community, I want to express my profound concern about the violence and threats toward community leaders in Cabañas: The kidnapping and brutal assassination of the activist Gustavo Marcelo Rivera; the death threats against journalists at Radio Victoria, the director of the Association for Social and Economic Development (ADES) and other community leaders in Cabañas; the sabotage of the broadcasting equipment at Radio Victoria; and the recent assassination attempt against the community leaders Father Luis Quintanilla and Ramiro Rivera.
I believe there is sufficient evidence to assume that Marcelo Rivera's murder and the other crimes are linked and part of a campaign to intimidate community organizations in Cabañas. It is alarming that the Attorney General Office is attributing these crimes to common violence, ignoring the evidence and antecedents that indicate the political nature of these events.
Therefore as a member of the international community, I call on the Attorney General Office to carry out impartial, exhaustive and effective investigations of all of these crimes in order to bring to justice the intellectual and material authors of these crimes and guarantee the protection of other community leaders in the region. Leaving these crimes in a state of impunity creates a climate of fear and uncertainty for the rest of the community leaders, undermining the advances in the democratic process in El Salvador.
I thank you in advance for your efforts to speed up the investigations and I hope that there will soon be justice in these cases and that the victims' lives will be protected and Marcelo's family will be compensated for their loss.
CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSPERSON!
Please contact your Senators and Congressperson asking them to join an international campaign to pressure Salvadoran authorities to fully investigate the murder of anti-mining activist Marcelo Rivera and the death threats received by other community activists.
TAKE ACTION!
Contact the Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121 to call your Congressperson
Visit the "Write your Representative" website to e-mail your Congressperson
Visit the US Senate website to call or e-mail your Senator
Ask your Representatives to:
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Call for the Salvadoran authorities to fully investigate the murder of anti-mining activist Marcelo Rivera and ongoing death threats received by other community leaders. Read a letter sent by 108 international organizations to the Salvadoran Acting Attorney General.
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Review free trade agreements and eliminate provisions which allow mining corporations to sue countries for denying mining permits. Read the Pacific Rim vs. El Salvador Case.
For talking points please visit Jamie Moffett's campaign. Feel free to copy and paste the suggested message or write your own to include the more recent death treats received by other anti-mining activists. If you are from Pennsylvania you can use Jamie's automatic message to Senator Arlen Specter.
VIDEOS: Please watch the following videos to learn about violence against community leader in Cabañas:
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