|
Amnesty
International - Extrajudicial
killing/fear for safety - Land Activists
URGENT ACTION APPEAL
Go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
to read this month's newsletter.
----------------------------------
10 February 2003
UA 38/03
Extrajudicial killing/fear for safety
GUATEMALA
María Antonia Asencio Velásquez (f), Romero López Muñoz (m), land
activists
Killed:
Pedro Méndez Gutiérrez (m)
Land activists María Antonia Asencio Velásquez and Romero López Muñoz of the
Montufar community in the municipality of Amates, Izabal have been subjected to
a series of death threats from people connected to the company El Botiquín, who
are claiming ownership of the land where the Montufar community has farmed for
over 50 years. Following the killing of fellow land activist Pedro Méndez Gutiérrez
on 1 February 2003, Amnesty International is extremely concerned for their
safety.
Pedro Méndez Gutiérrez, member of Associación de Desarrollo Integral de
Montufar (ASDIM), Association of Integral Development of Montufar,
was reportedly assassinated by six heavily armed men at his home on the evening
of 1 February. He was shot in the presence of his wife and four of his children.
During the two months prior to his murder he had received a number of death
threats and was repeatedly warned that his life was in danger.
Over the last four months, Maria Antonia Asencio Velásquez,
also of ASDIM, and Romero López Muñoz, a regional director of the indigenous
lands
rights group, Comité de Unidad Campesina, (CUC), Peasants' Unity Committee,
have both reportedly received death threats, also from people affiliated to El
Botiquín. Peasant organisations believe that the dispute between the community
and the company is at the root of Pedro Méndez Gutiérrez's killing.
CUC has been concerned that the family of Pedro Méndez Gutiérrez was not
permitted to denounce his murder directly to the Ministerio Público (Public
Prosecutor's Office), but was told that the Servicio de Invsetigación Criminológica,
(SIC), Criminological Investigations Unit, would pass on their complaint. They
are concerned that the local office of the Human Rights Procurator in Puerto
Barrios, Izabal has not made any statement on the case. They fear that the
authorities are not genuinely committed to investigating the killing of Pedro Méndez
Gutiérrez and bringing those responsible to justice, and that instead, the
intention may be to protect the perpetrators.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Montufar community of some three hundred families was formed over 50 years
ago. A local commercial company Prama S.A. allegedly has legal title to their
land. A group of engineers, who worked for Prama, reportedly formed the
company El Botiquín which claims to have bought the land from Prama S.A. which
Prama dispute. El Botiquín are reportedly threatening the Montufar
community because they want the peasant farmers to buy the land from them and
not from Prama S.A.. CUC is assisting the Montufar community with support and
advice. The murder of Pedro Méndez Gutiérrez occurred against the background
of increased violence against land rights activists in Guatemala (see for
example UA 335/02 issued 12 November 2002 and UA 205/02 issued 8 July 2002).
The 1996 Accord on Socio-Economic issues and the Agrarian
Situation, an important plank of the 1996 Peace Accords, stipulated that unused
national lands were to be distributed and social funds created to buy lands for
landless peasant farmers. Despite this, the Guatemalan government has shown
little political will to fully implement this important element of the Peace
Accords. Increasingly desperate groups of peasant farmers in a number of
Guatemalan departments have taken to occupying lands or refusing to vacate other
plots which they believe they have the right to cultivate. Peasant farmers have
been subject to threats and intimidation and are frequently forcibly removed
from the land by police or landowners' private security. In other instances,
there appear to be collaboration between the authorities and private land
holders, in efforts to remove peasant
farmers from lands they claim and have often been working for many years.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- expressing concern for the safety of Maria Antonia Asencio Velásquez,
Romero López Muñoz and other members of Associación de Desarrollo
Integral de Montufar (ASDIM), Association of Integral Development of
Montufar;
- urging the authorities to take immediate measures to guarantee their
safety;
- calling on the government to investigate the murder of Pedro Méndez Gutiérrez,
to make the results public and bring those responsible to justice;
- urging the authorities to take action to peacefully resolve land disputes
including the one involving the Montufar community;
- stating that this would be one step towards reducing abuses against
indigenous peasants.
APPEALS TO:
Attorney General:
Lic. Carlos David de Leon Argueta
Fiscal General de la Republica
Fiscalia General del Ministerio Publico
8a. Avenida 10-67, Tercer nivel
Zona 1, Ciudad de Guatemala
Guatemala
Telegram: Fiscal General de la Republica,
Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
Fax: 011 502 221 2718
Salutation: Dear Attorney General/Señor
Fiscal General
Human Rights Procurator:
Lic. Sergio Morales
Procuraduria de los Derechos Humanos
12 Avenida 12-72, Zona 1
Ciudad de Guatemala
Guatemala
Telefax: 011 502 230 0874-76
Fax: 011 502 238 1734
Salutation: Dear Procurator/Señor Procurador
Presidential Legal Assistance and Resolution of Conflicts Land Agency: Contierra
Director General Gustavo Adolfo Ceraíz
Av. Hincapié 5-71 Zona 13
Ciudad de Guatemala
Guatemala
Telegram: Presidential Legal Assistance and
Resolution of Conflicts Land Agency
Ciudad de Guatemala,
Guatemala
Telefax: 011 502 332 6468/ 332 1525 (if a voice answers,
please say, "fax por favor")
E-mail: contierra@itelgua.com
Salutation: Dear Director/Señor Director General
Head of Police:
Comisario General Raúl Arquímedes Manchamé
Leiva
Senor Director de la Policía Nacional Civil
6ª Avenida 13-71, Zona 1
Ciudad de Guatemala
Guatemala
Fax: 011 502 251 9382
Salutation: Señor Director/ Dear Chief of Police
COPIES TO:
Peasants Organisation:
Comité de Unidad Campesina (CUC)
31 Avenida A 14-46, Zona 7
Ciudad de Plata II
Ciudad de Guatemala
Guatemala
Telefax: 011 502 434 9754 (please keep trying if difficulty
getting through)
Newspaper:
Diario Prensa Libre
13 Calle 9-31, Zona l
Ciudad de Guatemala
Guatemala
Fax: 011 502 251 8768/ 230 2193/ 230
2257
Ambassador Antonio Arenales Forno
Embassy of Guatemala
2220 R St. NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 745 1908
Please send appeals immediately. Check with the Colorado office between 9:00 am
and 6:00 pm, Mountain Time, weekdays only, if sending appeals
after March 21, 2003.
Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement that promotes and
defends human rights.
This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including contact information
and stop action date (if applicable). Thank you for your
help with this appeal.
Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
PO Box 1270
Nederland CO 80466-1270
Email: uan@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 303 258 1170
Fax: 303 258 7881
----------------------------------
END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
|
