Urgent Action - ERASMO SANCHEZ LAPOP Guatemalan landless movement activist -- ASSASINATED
From: Rights Action <info@rightsaction.org>
November 8, 2002
ERASMO SANCHEZ LAPOP Guatemalan landless
movement activist -- ASSASINATED
===
Urgent Action --- Mayan-Kiche man killed
who was a landless movement activist with
CODECA, a grassroots group that Rights Action
supports in Guatemala.
If you want on/ off this e-list: info@rightsaction.org. Please re-distribute and publish this information,
citing source.
What you can do information below.
===
Who Was Erasmo Sanchez Lapop?
A Maya-Quiche landless farmer who was assassinated
on a plantation in south-west Guatemala,
that exports produce to North American markets,
because he like many -- was organizing and
educating his community to fight for an 8-hour
work day, not 16, for a 5-day work week,
not 7, for a decent salary, not $2/ day often-not-paid,
for clean and safe work conditions, not jacked
on employer provided stimulants to work longer
and harder in miserable conditions. Erasmo
was a family and community man, a Mayan man
killed by endless repression and exploitation
in the new and old world order.
===
After decades of military control, inequality,
injustice and impunity continue to characterize
campesino life including on-going threats
and attacks against leaders of the land rights
movement in Guatemala.
On Sunday, November 3, 2002, at 4:00 p.m.,
Erasmo Sanchez Lapop was assassinated on
the New Cabrican plantation in Cabrican,
Mazatenango, Guatemala. Two men pulled up
in a dark car and shot Erasmo dead while
he was in mid-conversation with a community
member. His wife, standing nearby, recognized
the two men and immediately called the police
who proceeded to catch and imprison the assumed
assailants.
Erasmo was a member of a Kiche community
of 125 families that recently purchased and
settled on the New Cabrican plantation in
August 2001. The community purchased land
via Fontierra, a government social land fund
created to provide land for the impoverished
and displaced populations.
Although New Cabrican was formed as a community
farm, individuals from outside the community
illegally claimed ownership and currently
reap the benefits of part of this land. In
attempt to combat such an illegal encroachment,
Sanchez Lapop and twelve fellow community
members, all part of the Committee for Campesino
Development (CODECA), began organizing the
farmers to unify and empower them to fight
for their communal land rights. Sanchez Lapop
was known as the most active of
these organizers.
In September 2002, residents of the New Cabrican
plantation began receiving threatening letters.
The CODECA members were among the recepients.
In a blatant attempt to discredit the organization
by creating doubt and mistrust amongst the
group of campesinos, all of the letters bare
the identical signature of a specific member
of the Board of Directors of CODECA. The
final threatening message that Sanchez Lapop
received prior to his assassination contained
a bullet.
The November 3rd killing of Sanchez Lapop
on the Guatemalas Southern Coast occurs in
the context of increased violence against
land rights activists in the country. Despite
the fact that the Peace Accords signed in
1996 stipulated the distribution of unused
national lands and the creation of social
funds to buy lands for landless campesinos,
the Guatemalan government has shown little
political will to fully comply with this
portion of the accords. Fontierra has never
had a sufficient budget to address the demands
for land, much less follow through to ensure
recipients are not manipulated by power hungry
individuals from the surrounding area.
A History of Marginalization
Guatemalan farm workers historically have
been discriminated against, marginalized,
and exploited. The agricultural product has
often received more care and concern than
the individual cultivating. Workers days
begin at 4:00 a.m. and often continue until
9:00 at night. Work weeks last seven days
and vacation days never enter the realm of
discussion. The minimum daily salary established
by the government is Q21.00 (less than $3.00).
Most owners refuse to pay this wage. Large
land owners are known to administer stimulants
to their workers to make them immune to all
bodily sensation and able to work longer
and harder under such harsh conditions.
The Committee for Campesino Development (CODECA)
was formed in 1993 in attempt to regulate
the farming system in the southern coast
of Guatemala. By organizing farmers CODECA
strives to ensure that workers receive minimum
wages and owners provide humane conditions
for their employees. The organizing CODECA
initiates on farms is not favorable for the
owner since expenses increase, as does accountability.
People of high political and social status
regularly exploit the poor campesino workers.
Large land owners attempt to dismantle worker
groups, doing their best to maintain unorganized
and underpaid employees with unregulated
conditions.
After the death of Erasmo Sanchez Lapop,
for fear of their own lives, combined with
mistrust of those involved in the organization,
the remaining twelve CODECA members living
on the New Cabrican plantation are hesitant
to continue organizing. The murder of Sanchez
Lapop can potentially succeed in the goal
of dividing the campesino organization and
maintaining illegal working conditions.
===
What You Can Do?
The recent attacks against leaders of land
rights organizations demonstrate the continued
risk activists face in Guatemala. Rights
Action solicits letters to President Portillo
demanding an end to the harassment, intimidation,
and violence against the landless peasant
movement, and a prompt and fair solition
to all land conflicts in Guatemala.
Attached you will find a sample letters in
English and Spanish. Please send copies of
your letters to CODECA.
President Alfonso Portillo
Fax: *(502) 238-3579, *(502) 221-4423, *(502)
221-4537
copredeh@guate.net o secgralp@terra.com.gt
Please send copies to:
Comité de Desarrollo Campesino- CODECA
codeca@gmx.net
Sample letter in English:
Hon. Alfonso Portillo Cabrera
President of the Republic of Guatemala
I write to express grave concern over the
trend of on-going intimidation and violence
against members of the peasant movement in
your country. Committee for Campesino Development
(CODECA) member Erasmo Sanchez Lapops recent
extra judicial assassination is an unfortunate
example of yet another injustice and illegal
action committed against impoverished campesinos.
On Sunday, November 3, 2002, two unidentified
men assassinated Erasmo Sanchez Lapop on
the New Cabrican plantation in Cabrican,
Mazatenango, Guatemala. I strongly encourage
your government to demonstrate a sustained
commitment to the investigations and related
prosecutions against the material and intellectual
authors of this and other crimes against
land activists in Guatemala.
The international community demands an immediate
end to the intimidations and violence against
the organized peasant movement. Furthermore,
I respectfully urge your government to comply
with the Peace Accords by offering financial
and political support to the institutions
created to address the structural problem
of land tenancy, as well as providing the
necessary actions to resolve on-going land
conflicts.
I thank you for your prompt attention to
this urgent matter.
Sincerely,
Ejemplo de una carta en Español
Hon. Alfonso Portillo Cabrera
Presidente de la Republica de Guatemala
Estimado Honorable Presidente Portillo:
Le escribo con grave preocupación
sobre el reciente patrón de intimidaciones
y violencia en contra de los miembros del
movimiento campesino dentro de su país.
El recién asesinato extrajudicial
de un miembro del Comité para el Desarrollo
de los Campesinos (CODECA), Erasmo Sanchez
Lapop, es un ejemplo desafortunado de otra
injusticia y acción ilegal cometido
contra los campesinos.
El domingo 3 de noviembre de 2002, dos hombres
no identificados asesinaron a Erasmo Sanchez
Lapop en la finca Nuevo Cabrican en Cabrican,
Mazatenango, Guatemala. Solicitamos de manera
contundente a su gobierno para que demuestre
un compromiso en el proceso de las investigaciones
y en el debido proceso en contra de los autores
materiales e intelectuales de este y otros
crímenes cometidos contra los activistas
de lucha por la tierra en Guatemala.
La comunidad internacional demanda el fin
inmediato a las intimidaciones y violencia
en contra el movimiento campesino organizado.
Además, con respeto le insito como
gobernante a cumplir con los Acuerdos del
Paz a través del apoyo financiero
y político a las instituciones encargadas
de confrontar los problemas estructurales
de la tenencia de la tierra; así como
también promover las acciones necesarias
para resolver los conflictos de tierra que
todavía persisten en Guatemala.
Le agradezco por su atención inmediata
en este asunto urgente.
Atentamente,
===
TAX CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS
To provide humanitarian assistance (food,
medical, and emergency support) to landless
movement organizations in Guatemala, make
check payable to Rights Actino, and mail
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Tornonto ON, M6C-1CO
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===
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