EL SALVADOR – Le 20 décembre 2009, l’activiste environnemental Ramiro Rivera Gómez a été assassiné dans le quartier Trinidad de Ilobasco, dans le département de Cabañas, El Salvador, où il demeurait. M. Rivera était vice-président du CAC (Comité Ambiental de Cabañas – Comité environnemental de Cabañas) et un leader dans la lutte de résistance contre la compagnie minière canadienne établie à Vancouver et spécialisée dans l’extraction d’or , Pacific Rim.
Le Committee in Solidarity with the People of Salvador (CISPES) a émis une action urgente en espagnol, le 21 décembre 2009 que vous trouverez ci-bas ou en cliquant sur ce lien. Vous trouverez également la traduction du modèle de la lettre en français ci-bas.
Mining Watch Canada a publié un communiqué de la National Coalition Against Metallic Mining of El Salvador le 23 décembre 2009 en résumant la situation et en indiquant les adresses courriel des députés, ministres et fonctionnaires du Canada et du Salvador à qui il serait important d’envoyer cette action urgente. Voir le communiqué ci-bas ou en cliquant sur ce lien.
Emergency Update and Action Alert: Anti-Mining Activist Ramiro Rivera Assassinated in Cabañas
Monday, 21 December 2009
Ramiro Rivera Gómez, vice-president of CAC (Comité Ambiental de Cabañas/ the Environmental Committee of Cabañas) and a local leader in the community struggle against the environmentally-destructive gold mining projects proposed by Pacific Rim, was assassinated on Sunday, December 20, 2009 in the Trinidad neighborhood of Ilobasco, in the department of Cabañas where he lived.
Héctor Berríos reports that Ramiro Rivera was killed by hitmen carrying M-16 rifles. Ramiro’s thirteen-year old daughter who was with him on Sunday afternoon was also injured but is reportedly in stable condition.
On August 7 of this year, Ramiro Rivera was shot 8 times, but survived the vicious attack. Oscar Menjívar, previously implicated in physical attacks on anti-mining activists, was arrested and charged with Ramiro’s attempted murder. Community members report that Menjívar had previously worked for Canadian mining company Pacific Rim; Pacific Rim denies that he has ever been an employee.
Since his recovery, Mr. Rivera had been under the protection of two police officers from the Witnesses and Victims Protection Unit of the National Civilian Police. On the afternoon of December 20th, they were apparently unable to protect him.
Since June of 2009, when anti-mining and FMLN activist Marcelo Rivera (no relation to Ramiro) was found tortured and killed in Cabañas, there have been continued attacks, death threats and attempted kidnappings of community members and activists who have vehemently opposed the proposed El Dorado gold mine. The Ministry of Environment denied mining exploitation permits to Pacific Rim, a Vancouver-based mining company, which subsequently announced a $77 million dollar lawsuit against the Salvadoran government under CAFTA, the U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement (watch the Real News video here ).
Despite the overtly political overtones of this wave of violence, local police authorities and the former Attorney General’s office have classified these cases as common crimes. Salvadorans are fearful and outraged by the continued violence but also by the inability or unwillingness of the police and the office of the Attorney General to protect community activists like Ramiro Rivera and to halt the violence.
Join the international response to this repression of anti-mining organizers in Cabañas TODAY. Call on the Salvadoran authorities to carry out an exhaustive investigation of these crimes and their motives.
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TAKE ACTION:
1) E-mail Rodolfo Delgado, head of the Organized Crime unit of the Attorney General’s Office (Sample e-mail text at the end of this alert) radelgado@fgr.gob.sv. Please copy Human Rights Ombudsman Oscar Luna to your email, via his front desk: heidybrizuela@pddh.gob.sv
2) Please forward a copy of your sent email to cispes@cispes.org
SAMPLE E-MAIL (English translation below):
Estimado Señor Rodolfo Delgado:
Como miembro de la comunidad internacional, quiero expresar mi profunda preocupación por lo más reciente hecho de violencia contra un líder social en Cabañas, el asesinato de Ramiro Rivera Gómez. Después de que él fue baleado ocho veces en agosto del 2009, fue bajo la protección de la Unidad de Protección de Víctimas y Testigos de la Policía Nacional Civil.
El asesinato de Ramiro Rivera parece otro hecho de violencia sistemático que ha traspasado en Cabañas desde el junio de este año: 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 Ramiro Rivera y los demás crímenes están relacionados y forman parte de una campaña para intimidar a las organizaciones sociales en Cabañas. Es preocupante que la Fiscalía, bajo la dirección de Ástor Escalante, adjudicó 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 ahora bajo la dirección del nuevo Fiscal General de la República Romeo Barahona, la Fiscalía realice una investigación imparcial, exhaustiva y efectiva en el caso del asesinato de Ramiro Rivera y de todos estos casos, para dar a conocer a los autores intelectuales y materiales de estos crímenes y garantizar así la protección de los líderes sociales en la región de forma verdadera.
Después del asesinato de Marcelo Rivera en junio, más de cien organizaciones de los Estados Unidos y Canadá mandaron una carta a la Fiscalía expresando su preocupación grave con los atropellos a los derechos humanos. También el Congresista Jim McGovern de los Estados Unidos expresó la misma preocupación en reuniones con el Señor Fiscal General, Romeo Barahona, y representantes de la Administración del Señor Presidente Mauricio Funes, durante su visita reciente a El Salvador.
También le estoy mandando una copia de este mensaje al señor Procurador para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos, licenciado Oscar Humberto Luna, quien ha mostrado un compromiso fuerte para proteger la seguridad y los derechos humanos de los líderes sociales en Cabañas.
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 Ramiro.
[Tu nombre/ Your name]
___________________
Traduction du courriel:
Mr. Rodolfo Delgado,
En tant que membre de la communauté internationale, je souhaite exprimer ma profonde inquiétude au sujet d’un acte violent récemment commis contre un leader de la lutte sociale à Cabañas : l’assassinat de Ramiro Rivera Gómez. Depuis le jour où il avait été blessé par huit projectiles d’arme à feu en août 2009, il a été mis sous la protection de « l’Unité de protection des victimes et témoins » de la Police nationale civile.
L’assassinat de Ramiro Rivera s’additionne aux actes de violence systématique qui se sont déroulés à Cabañas depuis le mois de juin de cette année : l’enlèvement et le violent assassinat de l’activiste Gustavo Marcelo Rivera, les menaces de mort aux journalistes de Radio Victoria, au directeur de « l’Association du développement économique et social Santa Marta » (ADES) et à d’autres chefs communautaires de Cabañas, le vandalisme envers le système électronique de Radio Victoria et enfin les tentatives d’assassinat des chefs communautaires que sont le père Luis Quintanilla et Ramiro Rivera.
Je considère qu’il existe suffisamment de preuves pour présumer que l’assassinat de Ramiro Rivera et les autres crimes sont liés et font partie d’une campagne d’intimidation des organisations sociales à Cabañas. Il est préoccupant que le Ministère Public, sous la direction d’Astor Escalante, attribue a priori ces crimes à une violence commune, ignorant les preuves et antécédents présentés qui indiquent la nature politique de ces événements.
C’est pourquoi en tant que membre de la communauté internationale, je fais appel pour qu’à partir de maintenant, avec le nouveau Procureur général de la République Romeo Barahona, le Ministère Public réalise une enquête impartiale, exhaustive et effective au sujet de l’assassinat de Ramiro Rivera et de tous les cas énumérés plus haut afin de connaître les auteurs intellectuels et matériels de ces crimes. De plus, il faut véritablement garantir la protection des chefs sociaux dans la région.
Depuis l’assassinat de Marcelo Rivera en juin 2009, plus de 100 organisations des États-Unis et du Canada ont envoyé une lettre au Ministère Public témoignant de leur profonde inquiétude face aux violations des droits humains. De surcroît, le congressiste américain Jim McGovern a exprimé la même inquiétude lors d’une réunion avec Mr. le Procureur général, Romeo Barahona, et les représentants de l’administration de Mr. le Président Mauricio Funes, lors de sa dernière visite au Salvador.
De plus, j’envoie une copie de ce message au Procureur pour la défense des droits humains, Oscar Humberto Luna, qui a démontré un grand engagement afin de protéger la sécurité et les droits humains des chefs sociaux à Cabañas.
Laisser ces crimes dans l’impunité générerait un climat de peur et d’incertitude pour les autres chefs communautaires, affectant ainsi les progrès obtenus dans le cadre du processus de démocratisation du pays.
Je remercie d’avance vos démarches pour accélérer les processus d’enquête et j’espère que la justice s’appliquera au sujet de ces cas, et qu’une protection sera mise en place pour les victimes, ainsi qu’ une réparation sera offerte à la famille de Ramiro.
(Votre nom)
El Salvador’s National Coalition Against Metallic Mining Condemns the Murders of Ramiro Rivera and Felícita Echeverría
Dec 23 2009
Communiqué from the National Coalition Against Metallic Mining of El Salvador
Last Sunday, the 20th of December, environmentalist Ramiro Rivera Gómez, leader in the community resistance to the Canadian mining company Pacific Rim, was assassinated in the Trinidad region of Sensuntepeque, in Cabañas, El Salvador. His wife Felícita Echeverría, next to him, died as well, and a 13-year-old girl was wounded. According to witnesses, several hired hitmen ambushed their vehicle and shot them with high-caliber weapons, despite the presence of two police agents that were there for their safety.
This community leader, member of the Environmental Committee of Cabañas and the National Coalition Against Metallic Mining, was the victim of persecution, death threats, and assassination attempts. The most recent of these happened on August 7 of this year, when he was shot 8 times in the back. One of his attackers, Pacific Rim’s thug, Óscar Menjívar, is now detained and his judicial hearing will be in February 2010. [Note: Pacific Rim has denied any association with Óscar Menjívar, in contrast with the community’s assertion that he worked for the company.]
With much outrage, the Christian communities and grassroots organizations of the National Coalition Against Metallic Mining condemn this repugnant crime, and declare the following:
1. The death of compañero Ramiro is not an isolated case, nor is it a crime of common delinquency; it occurs in a context of threats, attacks, disappearances, torture, and assassination of opponents to the mining projects, the most emblematic of which the case of Gustavo Marcelo Rivera. These crimes take place in the middle of a climate of growing conflict, caused by Pacific Rim, by way of buying political will, dividing communities, and promoting violent acts against anti-mining activists.
2. The assassination of Ramiro Rivera is a result of the impunity that prevails in the zone. Certainly the lack of justice in the disappearance, torture, and murder of Gustavo Marcelo Rivera gave incentive to the material and intellectual murderers of compañero Ramiro. In that sense, not only is Pacific Rim responsible for generating conflicts in communities and families, but also the police, district attorney and attorney general, and judicial system, for allowing impunity that motivates the commission of new crimes.
3. This situation in Cabañas also reflects a certain indolence of the very President of the Republic, Maurcio Funes, who does not declare a position on these cases, despite repeated petitions by the Coalition and from the international community. Recently the influential U.S. Congressperson James McGovern asked that he [Funes] intervene.
The 9th of December, community leaders from Cabañas and representatives of the Coalition arrived at the Presidential residence to deliver a letter to Funes, which he could not receive because he had other commitments. The communiqué asked, among other things, for a thorough investigation in the case of Marcelo Rivera and to apply effective security measures for all threatened environmental activists. Probably an immediate response would have prevented the assassination of compañero Ramiro.
In light of this situation, the Coalition reiterates its demands to prosecute and penalize all those who are intellectually and materially responsible for the assassination attempts, threats, assassinations, and other crimes against the defenders of the environment in Cabañas; and to include in the list of suspects of intellectual authors of these human rights violations the mining company Pacific Rim and all its lackeys.
What You Can Do
Please write to the following Canadian officials as well as to your own Member of Parliament (see link below) asking that the government of Canada call on the Government of El Salvador to ensure that the Attorney General’s Office carry out a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into the assassination of Ramiro Rivera Gomez, investigating all possible linkages related to his work in questioning the actions of Pacific Rim mining company in El Salvador. The investigation should culminate in the prosecution of all those found responsible for his death.
Write to:
Hon. Peter Kent
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Americas)
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
Canada
Telephone: (613) 992-0253
Fax: (613) 992-0887
Kent.P(at)parl.gc.ca
Send copies to:
Rafael Angel Alfaro Pineda
Ambassador of El Salvador to Canada
209 Kent Street,
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1Z8
Canada
Telephone: (613) 238-2939
Fax: (613) 238-6940
embajada(at)elsalvador-ca.org
Claire A. Poulin
Canadian Ambassador to El Salvador
Centro Financiero Gigante
63 Av. Sur y Alameda Roosevelt, Local 6, Nivel Lobby II
San Salvador, El Salvador
Telephone: (503) 2279-4655
Fax: (503) 2279-0765
ssal@international.gc.ca
Kevin Sorenson, MP
Chair, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development
Telephone: (613) 947-4608
Fax: (613) 947-4611
SorenK@parl.gc.ca
John MacKay, MP
Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development
Telephone: (613) 992-1447
Fax: (613) 992-8968
MckayJ@parl.gc.ca
Hon. Bob Rae, MP
Liberal Party Foreign Affairs Critic
Telephone: (613) 992-5234
Fax: (613) 996-9607
RaeB(at)parl.gc.ca
Francine Lalonde, MP
Bloc Québecois Foreign Affairs Critic
Telephone: (613) 995-6327
Fax: (613) 996-5173
LalonF(at)parl.gc.ca
Paul Dewar, MP
NDP Foreign Affairs Critic
Telephone: (613) 996-5322
Fax: (613) 996-5323
DewarP(at)parl.gc.ca
Alexandre Leveque
Director Caribbean, Central America & Regional Policy, Central America Division, DFAIT
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
Canada
Telephone: (613) 992-2971
Fax: (613) 944-0760
Alexandre.Leveque(at)international.gc.ca
Barbara Curran
Director, Central America Division, Canadian International Development Agency
200 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Québec K1A 0G4
Canada
Telephone: (819) 994-4092
Fax: (819) 997-0628
barbara.curran@acdi-cida.gc.ca
