New Death Threats against Community Journalists in El Salvador, Journalist Murdered in Honduras; Take Action Today

May 13, 2011 Cispes

New Death Threats against Community Journalists in El Salvador

Journalist Murdered in Honduras; Take Action Today to Call for the
Suspension of U.S. Military Aid (see below)

Our allies in the Cabañas, El Salvador are very concerned about a recent
wave of death threats against members Radio Victoria, a community radio
station, which is an invaluable source of information to the rural
communities in Cabañas. Members of the collective have been outspoken
against the fraud and corruption of local right-wing politicians, as well
as against Pacific Rim Mining's proposed gold mines.

In the past two weeks, Marixela Ramos and Pablo Ayala have received
multiple death threats against them and their family members by a group
identifying itself as an "extermination group," telling them to leave the
radio station immediately. The threats have been made primarily through
text messages; written threats have also been slipped under the door of
the radio station.
Despite fact that there are roughly ten police officers assigned to do
security for community leaders in Cabañas, including some members of Radio
Victoria, there is clearly a need for new forms of specialized police
protection and for a thorough and immediate investigation into these
threats and into the systematic campaign of intimidation against the
social movement.


Background:

Death threats, kidnappings, robberies from 2009 and 2019, including
against members of Radio Victoria, ADES, ASIC, and the CAC – all active
organizations in Cabañas’ mining resistance –were a prelude to the murders
of three activists, Marcelo Rivera, Ramiro Rivera and Dora Alicia Sorto
Recinos. Please read more in-depth reports here and here.

While material authors have been found guilty and sentenced in the
murders, there have been no investigations of the intellectual authors of
the murders or the relationship of the crimes to the victims’ political
activities.  Therefore, our allies are extremely concerned that this
on-going state of impunity could lead to more violence and murders in the
near future.

Please join us in taking action now to demand that the Attorney General
properly investigate these crimes and that the government provide
sufficient protection for community journalists and social movement
leaders.
TAKE ACTION TODAY!


1)    Send an email to Salvadoran Attorney General Romeo Barahona to
demand an immediate and exhaustive investigation into the death threats.

2)    Send an email to David Morales, Director of Human Rights at the
Ministry of Foreign Relations to demand that a new police unit be created
to accompany those being threatened.

If you speak Spanish, please also call Lic. Barahona to call for an
exhastive investigation and Lic. Morales to call for adequate police
protection today.

Call Script for Attorney General Barahona, Fiscal General de la República
at 011-503-2230-6350 (direct number of his assistant, Hector Burgos)

Buenos días/tardes.  Mi nombre es_______________________ y llamo para
expresar mi preocupación sobre las nuevas amenazas de muerte contra el
personal de Radio Victoria en Cabañas, hechos por un grupo de exterminio,
las cuales son realmente asombrosas. Urge una investigación profunda e
inmediata sobre estas amenazas y la campaña sistemática de intimidación
que hoy surge en Cabañas. El hecho de que la violencia y amenazas
anteriores de los dos años pasados en Cabañas quedaron en impunidad ha
permitido que surgieran los nuevos casos de violencia. Pido que el Fiscal
General tome las medidas necesarias para asegurar justicia y protección
para los y las afectados.

Call Script for David Morales, Director of Human Rights at Foreign Affairs
Ministry, 011-503-2231-1143

Buenos días/tardes.  Mi nombre es_______________________ y llamo para
expresar mi profunda preocupación sobre las nuevas amenazas al personal
del Radio Victoria. Le pido que tome todas las medidas necesarias para
crear una nueva unidad de policía para proveer seguridad y acompañar a
todos los y las miembros de Radio Victoria y otros líderes del movimiento
social en Cabañas que viven bajo la amenaza de muerte. También, pido que
extiendan las medidas cautelares a Marixela Ramos y Pablo Ayala, quienes
han sido identificados como blancos en las últimas amenazas. Le agradezco
de antemano su atención y compromiso para proteger los derechos humanos de
todos y todas en El Salvador.
¡Que vivan los pueblos en resistencia!

The people of Honduras urgently need your solidarity. Earlier this week,
journalist Franciso Medina was killed by gunmen on motorcycle; he is the
eleventh journalist to have been killed in Honduras in the past eighteen
months. Members of the resistance movement, organized campesinos, LGBT
activists, and journalists continue to face violent state repression for
their ongoing organizing against the illegitmate government of Pepe Lobo
and for a democratic re-founding of the Honduran state.

Representaties McGovern (D-MA), Shakowsky (D-IL) and Farr (D-CA) are
cosponsoring a letter calling for the suspension of U.S. military aid to
Honduras. Please take action today to ask your Representative to sign on
to this letter to Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. The deadline for Reps
to sign on is May 25th so please take action today. U.S. aid to this
murderous regime must end immediately!

For more information, please check out the work of our allies:

La Voz de los de Abajo: http://hondurasresists.blogspot.com/

Witness for Peace: http://www.witnessforpeace.org

School of the Americas Watch: http://www.soaw.org/

Rights Action: www.rightsaction.org

Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular de Honduras (in spanish):
http://resistenciahonduras.net/

Professor Adrienne Pine: http://quotha.net/