Make a Statement against Mining in El Salvador

U.S. - El Salvador Sister Cities Network

www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org

URGENT ACTION, August 2008:

Make a Statement of Solidarity against Mining in El Salvador!

Dear Friends of Sister Cities,

The struggle against gold mining in El Salvador continues. Communities are faced by this internationally driven threat to their land, their water, and their lives. Though Pacific Rim has announced its decision to cut its El Salvador operations (the announcement being seen more as a tool for pressuring the government than a decision to abandon mining efforts in El Salvador) Intrepid Minerals, Ltd. and Tribune Uranium Corp, the two companies pursuing exploration in Chalatenango, have made no such decision.

If you would like more information about the status of the anti-mining campaign, please visit the website www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org.

Today, we urge you to write to the directors of Intrepid and Tribune expressing your personal awareness and concern regarding mining in El Salvador and the role their companies play. Send out these two letters below in full, or a shorter modified version to you own liking. Feel free to include more information pertinent to your committee or sister community. But please send something; every letter sent is added incentive to withdraw from El Salvador.

Lastly, after sending letters to Tribune and Intrepid send us an email letting us know that you did so (sistercities@gmail.com).

As always, we thank you for your commitment to accompany the communities in their struggle of mining resistance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bradley Gordon, CEO and Executive Director
Intrepid Minerals, Ltd.
Suite 1710
155 University Avenue
Toronto, ON M5H 3B7
Canada

Dear Mr. Gordon,

I write to express my concern about Intrepid Minerals, Ltd.'s involvement in the Ojo Blanco and Petancol projects in the Department of Chalatenango, El Salvador.

[Here identify your own personal interest in contacting the company and your connection to El Salvador and/or Chalatenango. An example for the sister cities network: My own interest in contacting you is as a member of the U.S.-El Salvador Sister City Network. This organization represents groups from sixteen U.S. cities which have a fifteen year ongoing relationship with the residents of Salvador communities, including those within the Ojo Blanco and Petancol Claims areas. As a network, we remain in constant communication with several communities in the project area.] I am personally discouraged and disappointed by Intrepid Mines' persistence in pursuing mining exploration projects in El Salvador, despite rejection by the local residents.

I write now to remind Intrepid Mines that opposition to these proposed mining projects remains strong and unwavering on the local, national, and international level.

The residents of the communities within the Petancol and Ojo Blanco project areas are informed as to the likely environmental and social consequences of said projects. They believe that the exploitation that will follow exploration will destroy their reforested land, pollute their water supply, ruin their agriculture, and over time, make their communities uninhabitable. They are also extremely worried about the prospect of violence, which has occurred in parallel situations in neighboring Guatemala and Honduras, when security forces were called in to enforce the mining companies' presence. Time and again they have declared that mining is not welcome in their homelands.

Recently, the Public Statement Against the Projects that Threaten Human Life and Our Environment, a statement signed by the duly elected Association of Communities for the Development of Chalatenango and the mayors of the municipalities of Las Vueltas, Arcatao, Nueva Trinidad, San Jose Las Flores, Nombre de Jesús, San Isidro Labrador, San Antonio Los Ranchos, El Carrizal, and San Luís del Carmen was released. The statement was also signed by members of the Catholic Church and the non-governmental development organizations the Foundation for Cooperation and Community Development for El Salvador (CORDES) and Provida.

In this statement they declare once again their "rejection and total opposition" to mining projects. Affected communities have not been properly consulted in regard to the opening of mining projects on their lands. In their opinion, mining projects are incompatible with the development of the Northern Zone of El Salvador. They are prepared to continue in their strong resistance to what they consider an illegitimate incursion on their land by transnational corporations.

The Catholic Church stands in similar disaccord with the projects. Citing the grave environmental and health consequences of mining, water contamination, concerns for wildlife and agriculture, and the dense population in El Salvador, the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador declared: "For all of the above mentioned reasons, we affirm that to put in danger the lives of human beings, although some economic benefits can be gained, the mining exploitation of precious metals in El Salvador should not be permitted."

These positions are supported by public opinion, as reflected in a poll conducted by the Public Opinion Institute of the University of Central America. The English-language executive summary, titled Knowledge and perceptions of mining in areas affected by mining activities in El Salvador, concludes that "a large majority of the population residing in areas affected by mining projects oppose this activity. Furthermore, the population considers that mining would not contribute in a significant way to the economic development of their communities." Moreover, "62.5% expressed the opinion that El Salvador is not an appropriate country for mining" and "two-thirds of those polled (63.8%) responded that they "totally" or "partially" disagree with the opening of new mining projects."

As the results of the IUDOP poll indicate, Salvadorans are not persuaded by campaigns to promote "green mining" or to convince the population that El Salvador should follow in the foot-steps of other countries where mining is occurring.

I understand that Intrepid Mines, along with Tribune Uranium Corp, have already invested considerable time, energy, and funding in going forward with exploration activities in the Ojo Blanco and Petancol claims areas. I urge you to reconsider your activities in El Salvador. While I understand you already have the legal licenses to carry out exploration, your future ability to fully carryout exploration and exploitation remain in considerable doubt. In light of the strong opposition from communities, grassroots organizations, the Catholic Church, and many elected officials, it is highly unlikely the social licensee that local communities would need to provide in order to make your projects feasible in El Salvador will be forthcoming. Indeed, Pacific Rim has already decided to cut its El Salvador operations in neighboring Cabañas for these reasons.

Respectfully,


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Graham L. Harris, Chairman, C.E.O. & Director
Tribune Uranium Corp
Suite 2007
1177 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 2K3
Canada


Dear Mr. Harris,

I write to express my concern about Tribune Uranium Corp's involvement in the Arcatao, Ojo Blanco, Santa Catarina, and Petancol projects in the Department of Chalatenango, El Salvador.

[Here identify your own personal interest in contacting the company and your connection to El Salvador and/or Chalatenango. An example for the sister cities network: My own interest in contacting you is as a member of the U.S.-El Salvador Sister City Network. This organization represents groups from approximately twenty U.S. cities which have a fifteen year ongoing relationship with the residents of Salvadoran communities, including those within the Arcatao, Ojo Blanco, Santa Catarina, and Petancol claims areas. We remain in constant communication with several communities in the project areas.] I am personally discouraged and disappointed by Tribune's decision to go ahead with the acquisition of the claims areas and to continue to pursue exploration in the region, despite rejection by the local residents.

I write now to remind Tribune that opposition to these proposed mining projects remains strong and unwavering on the local, national, and international level.

The residents of the communities within the Arcatao, Ojo Blanco, Santa Catarina, and Petancol project areas are informed as to the likely environmental and social consequences of said projects. They believe that the exploitation that will follow exploration will destroy their reforested land, pollute their water supply, ruin their agriculture, and over time, make their communities uninhabitable. They are also extremely worried about the prospect of violence, which has occurred in parallel situations in neighboring Guatemala and Honduras, when security forces were called in to enforce the mining companies' presence. Time and again they have declared that mining is not welcome in their homelands.

Recently, the Public Statement Against the Projects that Threaten Human Life and Our Environment, a statement signed by the duly elected Association of Communities for the Development of Chalatenango and the mayors of the municipalities of Las Vueltas, Arcatao, Nueva Trinidad, San Jose Las Flores, Nombre de Jesús, San Isidro Labrador, San Antonio Los Ranchos, El Carrizal, and San Luís del Carmen was released. The statement was also signed by members of the Catholic Church and the non-governmental development organizations the Foundation for Cooperation and Community Development for El Salvador (CORDES) and Provida.

In this statement they declare once again their "rejection and total opposition" to mining projects. Affected communities have not been properly consulted in regard to the opening of mining projects on their lands. In their opinion, mining projects are incompatible with the development of the Northern Zone of El Salvador. They are prepared to continue in their strong resistance to what they consider an illegitimate incursion on their land by transnational corporations.

The Catholic Church stands in similar disaccord with the projects. Citing the grave environmental and health consequences of mining, water contamination, concerns for wildlife and agriculture, and the dense population in El Salvador, the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador declared: "For all of the above mentioned reasons, we affirm that to put in danger the lives of human beings, although some economic benefits can be gained, the mining exploitation of precious metals in El Salvador should not be permitted."

These positions are supported by public opinion, as reflected in a poll conducted by the Public Opinion Institute of the University of Central America. The English-language executive summary, titled Knowledge and perceptions of mining in areas affected by mining activities in El Salvador, concludes that "a large majority of the population residing in areas affected by mining projects oppose this activity. Furthermore, the population considers that mining would not contribute in a significant way to the economic development of their communities." Moreover, "62.5% expressed the opinion that El Salvador is not an appropriate country for mining" and "two-thirds of those polled (63.8%) responded that they "totally" or "partially" disagree with the opening of new mining projects."

As the results of the IUDOP poll indicate, Salvadorans are not persuaded by campaigns to promote "green mining" or to convince the population that El Salvador should follow in the foot-steps of other countries where mining is occurring.

I understand that Tribune Uranium Corp, along with Intrepid Mines, have already invested considerable time, energy, and funding in going forward with exploration activities in the Arcatao, Ojo Blanco, Santa Catarina, and Petancol claims areas. Once again, I urge you to reconsider your activities in El Salvador. While I understand you already have the legal licenses to carry out exploration, your future ability to fully carryout exploration and exploitation remain in considerable doubt. In light of the strong opposition from communities, grassroots organizations, the Catholic Church, and many elected officials, it is highly unlikely that Tribune will be able complete its stated mandate to "uphold the highest environmental and social standards and to work with local communities to ensure that these norms are to the benefit of both parties." The social license you claim to value will, I am sure, not be forthcoming. Indeed, Pacific Rim has already decided to cut its El Salvador operations in neighboring Cabañas for these reasons.

Respectfully,

Mining Activities in El Salvador: An Update from US-El Salvador Sister Cities - August 2008

Pacific Rim Suspends Operations in El Salvador
Recently, Pacific Rim, a large Canadian mining company pursuing exploration licenses in the El Salvador department of Cabañas, announced that it would suspend its El Salvador operations. Press announcements from Pacific Rim cited a lack of government cooperation and political will for the trouble the company has faced in pursuing exploration. In reality, strong and organized local opposition has made it difficult for Pacific Rim to operate in the area.

It is widely believed that government decisions on mining are on-hold in the lead-up to the elections in 2009. Because mining is so widely unpopular, the ARENA government fears electoral losses as a result of granting additional exploration and exploitation licenses to foreign owned companies.

While any news of this sort is encouraging, Pacific Rim's public statements and press releases appear to be both thinly veiled threats to bring the issue to international courts and an effort to pressure the Salvadoran government to allow Pacific Rim to operate in El Salvador despite strong popular opposition.

Continued Education and Resistance from the CCR and the Departmental Mining Table
In addition to articulating their position in the "Public Statement Against the Projects that Threaten Human Life and Our Environment", the Association of Communities for the Development of Chalatenango (CCR) and the Departmental Mining Table from Chalatenango have been busy planning additional activities as part of their resistance. Billboards stating the communities' opposition to mining will be erected throughout Chalatenango. Also, meetings with land owners are being held to dissuade them from selling to mining companies. As always, the CCR maintains a constant campaign to inform the communities of the disastrous impacts of mining.

Deceptive Tactics from the Mining Companies:

Offers of Scholarship and Development
In the department of Chaatenango, scholarships funded by the mining company are being offered through the Monseñor Oscar Arnulfo Romero University. They are being offered to students from communities not located near any of the proposed mining sites. It appears then, that one strategy being used is to approach poor communities not directly affected by mining and offering "development projects" in order to deceive the communities into supporting the projects.

Propaganda Campaigns
Mining companies have been supporting a campaign to publicize "green mining" and the support of mining by leftist governments in Cuba and Venezuela. Both are efforts to deceive the public about the reality of mining in El Salvador. "Green mining", a supposedly environmentally and developmentally friendly mining process, does not exist. All mining will contaminate water and soil in El Salvador, as well as drying up water sources. Referencing mining projects in Cuba and Venezuela as a justification for mining in El Salvador is ridiculous, as the countries vary greatly in territorial size, population density, and the amount of mining profits that will stay in the country.

Pro-Mining Bureau
A group known as the Pro-Mining Bureau gathered outside the cathedral in San Salvador for several consecutive Sundays. The group supposedly consisted of individuals from Cabañas, another department where there has been lots of mining-related activity and called upon the Archbishop to change his position from against the mining projects to being in favor of mining in El Salvador. On a Sunday in June, communities from Cabañas showed up to counter-demonstrate. They pulled out their DUIs (state issued IDs) with their registered addresses in Cabañas and asked to see the DUIs of those from the Pro-Mining Bureau. Those gathered from the Pro-Mining Bureau promptly packed up and left and have not demonstrated outside of the Cathedral since. Those from the Pro-Mining Bureau that were supposedly from Cabañas are believed to be from a San Salvador suburb and to have been paid to participate in the Sunday demonstrations.

Suchitoto 14 defendent assassinated!

On Friday May 2nd, Hector Antonio Ventura was assassinated in the community of Valle Verde, Suchitoto. Ventura was the youngest of the 14 political prisoners captured in Suchitoto on July 2nd, 2007.

According to preliminary reports, Ventura was stabbed to death. Another victim, who was with Ventura, was attacked but survived. Reports say that the assailants were at least two men, who entered the back room of the house where Ventura and his friend slept and attacked them. Because Ventura was a recently freed political prisoner and because the attack was not a random incident but demonstrated prior planning, the murder suggests political motives. Ventura's murder is one of a number of assassinations of political opposition leaders and activists in El Salvador in the last few years.

Ventura was killed days after having agreed to speak at the Day Against Impunity, an event planned to take place this coming July 2nd in Suchitoto, on the anniversary of last year's capture of the Suchitoto 14 by police. You can read more about Ventura's murder here.

PICA is participating in emergency meetings of the US-El Salvador Sister Cities network to plan a North American response to this tragic crime. You will hearing from us soon with actions you can take to support the ongoing struggle for human rights in El Salvador.

Victory in El Salvador - Suchitoto 13 freed!

Suchitoto 13 and the Citizens not Terrorists Campaign Achieve Major Victory!

Yesterday afternoon we received the following bulletin from US - El Salvador Sister Cities. This is a stunning blow to the ARENA government's strategy of using the "war against terror" as a pretext for repression, and a momentous victory for human rights and political freedom in El Salvador. It is a testament to the strength and resolution of the Salvadoran popular movement, and to the effectiveness of North American solidarity when we work in partnership with our Salvadoran sisters and brothers. Thank you to all of you who played a role - by making phone calls, sending letters, faxes and E-mails, contributing money, and in many other ways.

Jon Falk
PICA Director

*********************************

Friends,

The Suchitoto 13 and the Citizens Not Terrorists campaign achieved a major victory today!

This is a preliminary report, and we will be working to put out a more in-depth and detailed update in the coming hours that should orient our ongoing work. But here is the fresh info:

This February 19th at an initial hearing scheduled in Suchitoto under the new accusations of "Public Disorder" and "Aggravated Damages," the judge dropped all charges and set the 14 defendants free!

According to preliminary reports, the Attorney General's office neglected to present official accusations and sufficient evidence, and district attorneys were not present at the hearing on time. The Judge then decided to waive the charges, and decree "definitive liberty" for the defendants.

This hearing was scheduled after Special (terrorism) Tribunal Judge Ana Lucila Fuentes de Paz recused herself of February 11th and declared the Special Tribunal incompetent to hear the case, as the building was surrounded by hundreds of community members who had marched from the city of Suchitoto over the previous 3 days. (There is more information, photos and video of the march here.) Judge Fuentes de Paz's resolution sent the case back to the conventional court system in Suchitoto, and the local Judge scheduled the initial hearing.

US - El Salvador Sister Cities member, Meredith DeFrancesco, was inside the courthouse this morning as an accredited journalist. She describes the scene at the courthouse:

"The building was surrounded with people from the communities holding candles and photos of the 14 defendants. There was a dark and tense moment inside the courthouse as the Judge called each one of the defendants by name, and they each stood awaiting the resolution. When the Judge said that all charges were being dropped, the tense moment collapsed and the whole room spontaneously erupted. Another large group of people from organizations and rural communities was gathered in the park in Suchitoto, celebrating the verdict."

This is a major victory for the Suchitoto 13, for the CRIPDES communities and national organization, for the Salvadoran social movement, and international solidarity. Rosa Valle, Vice-President of CRIPDES told us that:

"This is proof that our organizing work gets results and has great power. The Government responded to our organizing with repression, and now they must recognize their mistake, as they see communities and leaders around the world uniting their voices with the strength of the Salvadoran people to call for justice, dignity, and our own human rights."

Thank you for all your work and continued attention, support, and action that has been so important over the last 7 months. Please stay tuned for a more in-depth report in the coming hours that will orient our continuing work and strategy to stand with our brothers and sisters in El Salvador to defend human rights!

For more info, check out:

• US-El Salvador Sister Cities Web site
  
• WERU Community Radio Web site (with photos and interviews)
  

Suchitoto 13 Update: Prosecution Reduces Charges, Continues to Allege Criminality; New Challenges Lie Ahead

Suchitoto 13 Update:
Monday, February 11th

Prosecution Reduces Charges, Continues to Allege Criminality; New Challenges Lie Ahead

Introduction:

The case of the Suchitoto 13 has reached a critical turning point, as a formal and definitive accusations were submitted by the Attorney General's office on February 8th, 2008, more than 7 months after the initial arrest and detention. The document submitted to Special Tribunal Judge Ana Lucila Fuentes de Paz deviates from original accusations, and changes the classification of the crime, presenting charges of "Creating a Public Disorder," as well as "Aggravated Damages." This is a reduction in scope and severity of the charges presented against the Suchitoto 13, but remains a blatant criminalization of the constitutionally guaranteed rights to free expression and association.

Legal Update:

The accusatory document presented by the Attorney General's office details an "official" narration of the events of July 2nd, 2007, as well as testimony and evidence which very closely reflects the original document submitted some 7 months ago. The prosecution maintains that a group of protesters blocked off the road and then responded violently to police. The official narration of the events differs drastically from scores of eyewitness reports, as well as a news reports and video, presented as evidence by the Attorney General's office, (you can see a clip here). The prosecution also presents testimony of several witnesses, both from public officials that manifest that they could not get to the official government event being held in Suchitoto, as well as from members of the Riot Police (UMO) and the police officers that arrested the Suchitoto 13.

The document presented by the Attorney General's office goes on to conclude that the actions of the defendants of July 2nd, 2007 correspond to the crime of "Public Disorder", as expressed in Article 348 of the Salvadoran Penal Code, and not "Acts of Terrorism", as they were originally qualified. Article 348 reads: "Those who, acting in a group and to the end of attacking the peace and public order, block public ways or access routes or invade installations and buildings, will be punished with two to four years in prison."

The document also cites $1,850 worth of damages to state property, including one bullhorn, a gas mask, a riot-police shield and helmet, and damage to 2 state-owned vehicles. Alleging that these objects were damaged "by protesters with rocks, sticks and closed fists," the prosecution also accuses the Suchitoto 13 of the crime of "Aggravated Damages."

Legal Analysis:

A few important legal elements and observations from lawyers and experts close to the case that can help to interpret the latest developments:

The change in the classification of the crime from "Acts of Terrorism" to "Public Disorder" should render the Special Tribunal, and specifically Judge Ana Lucila Fuentes de Paz, incompetent to continue ruling on the case. If the judge were to declare incompetence, either in an official resolution due this week, or at a later preliminary hearing when the defense team gets the chance to present its own evidence and testimony, then the case would be sent back to the conventional court system, in this case in Suchitoto.

The latest document submitted by the Attorney General's office is very similar to the original document, save the changes in the classification of the crime. It seems clear that over the last 7 months, (including the 4 month extension requested by the Attorney General's office), the prosecution has been unable to build a case. There are no new elements of proof submitted, and no stated reasoning even behind why the accusations were changed.

The Suchitoto 13 are charged under the existing Penal Code on July 2nd, 2007. This means that they cannot be charged under the reforms that raised the jail time for "Public Disorder" to 4-8 years. Rather, they face a 2-4 year sentence if convicted.

Reactions:
The Suchitoto 13 Legal Defense team declared that they were "deeply disappointed by the accusations submitted by the Attorney General's office." A spokesperson from the team commented that "There is a grave danger in classifying the legally guaranteed exercise of free expression and protest as a crime. The justice system apparatus clearly made a mistake with the initial arrest and detention of 14 people on July 2nd who had committed no crime. We would have hoped that the Attorney General's office would recognize the error and drop the charges. But on the contrary, the current accusations endanger not just the freedom of the people arrested in Suchitoto, but also the constitutional rights of the Salvadoran people to freely gather and express their opinions."

The Committee of Family Members of Political Prisoners in El Salvador, in a recent press release stated that: "The Attorney General wants it to appear as if the [new accusations] are in accordance with the law, hiding his intentions to continue the violations of human, social and civil rights... Our family members have committed no crimes and they should never have been arrested, much less tried, tortured, jailed and violated in their most fundamental rights. The Attorney General, if he really wants to rectify the situation and show respect for law, should solicit immediate and definitive freedom for our family members."

STAY TUNED at www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org

Suchitoto 13 Update: Time Expires for the Prosecution

Social Organizations Increase the Pressure as Time Expires for the Prosecution

(Bulletin from U.S. - El Salvador Sister Cities)

The case of the "Suchitoto 13" is at a boiling point as both sides prepare for the upcoming preliminary hearing to present evidence and testimony. An extension solicited by the Attorney General's office and granted by Special Tribunal Judge Ana Lucila Fuentes de Paz, expires on Friday, February 8th. This will be the final day that the prosecution has to present its evidence, witnesses, and final accusations. Following that date, the defense team will have 5 days to respond with its own evidence, information, and witnesses.

This preliminary hearing represents a key moment in the case. Since their release from prison in late July, 2007 under conditional liberty, the Suchitoto 13 have remained in a state of uncertainty. The legal requirements for their conditional liberty are restrictive, but it has been the stress of not knowing what to expect, while still facing up to 60 years in jail, that is weighing on the group the most. This preliminary hearing will be a glimpse at the strategy that the Salvadoran Government has decided to take, and the results will dictate how the case proceeds.

After the prosecution's presentation and the subsequent response of the defense team, Judge Fuentes de Paz must decide that either:

1. There is not sufficient evidence for a criminal case. The Special Tribunal then decrees that all charges are dropped.
2. There is not enough evidence for charges of Acts of Terrorism. The Special Tribunal declares itself incompetent to hear the case and passes it on to the regional court system for Cuscatlán under lesser charges.
3. There is sufficient evidence presented by the prosecution to proceed on to trial. Judge Fuentes de Paz schedules the trial date within 20-60 work days.
   

The legal and social response teams for the Suchitoto 13 are preparing for each of those possibilities, and have ramped up their activities leading up to the hearing. Lorena Martinez, CRIPDES President and member of the Suchitoto 13 said that "We have to be proactive and win this case before a trial ever begins. We know that there is no evidence to maintain terrorism charges, and logic suggests that we should be freed. But there was no logic to our initial capture and jail time either, so we know that we must keep our eyes focused on our common goals of justice, and work for it, too." The Suchitoto 13 legal and social teams have been doing just that in recent weeks.

CRIPDES and CORDES put pressure on the Attorney General

On Tuesday, February 5th a group of community leaders from Suchitoto, as well as CRIPDES and CORDES national leaders travelled to the District Attorney's office in Cojutepeque, in charge of the Cuscatlán Province that includes Suchitoto. There, observed by several journalists and members of the Salvadoran press, they presented a letter to Oscar Castro, the District Attorney, also directed to Felix Garrid Safie, the Attorney General, outlining the irregularities in the arrests of the Suchitoto 13. The letter correctly states that "...the extension granted [to the prosecution] expires on February 8th, and [the prosecution] has not made any movement during this time. It is clear there is no incriminating evidence.... We demand that the Attorney General of the Republic and the Judge Ana Lucila Fuentes de Paz respect the Rule of Law, stop risking the incipient process of democracy in the country and drop all charges."

Human Rights Investigation Delegation returns home

The Human Rights Investigation delegation that Sister Cities coordinated on the ground in El Salvador returned to the United States on January 27. Ten people from the United States, representing a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and sectors, but each with a strong history and commitment to the communities of CRIPDES and the struggle for social justice in El Salvador, formed the Human Rights Investigation delegation. The following are words directly from the delegates:

"We set out to meet with government officials to call their attention to the international human rights concerns around the case of the Suchitoto 13. We held meetings with Dr. Augustín García Calderón, President of the Supreme Court of Justice; Eduardo Calix, Vice-Minister of Foreign Relations, sent as a delegate of President Saca; Oscar Luna, the Human Rights Ombudsperson of El Salvador; and John Speaks, the secretary in charge of human rights issues in the United States Embassy.

"In each of these meetings, we presented the government representatives with our concerns about human rights violations and informed them that we were in coordination with our Congressional representatives in the US. At the same time we reminded them that 42 US Congresspeople signed letters of concern to President Saca about the case in July, and that this same Congress is responsible for allocating Millennium Challenge Account funds to El Salvador, which are dependent on standards of respect for political rights and ---, among others. We also asked the officials their perspectives on the case and more specific questions depending on their role in government.

"The conclusions that we drew after holding these meetings are available in our delegation report on the Sister Cities website."

"The most powerful and important meetings that the delegation had were with the Suchitoto 13 themselves and with community members from Suchitoto who were witness to and victims of the police repression and military presence on July 2. Meeting with these people and having the opportunity to accompany them as they struggle against this injustice served to inspire and strengthen us in our shared resolve that this case needs to come to a swift and just resolution, and the rights for political expression and assembly that are guaranteed in the Constitution and reasserted by the Peace Accords must be respected."

The delegation received quite a bit of coverage in the Salvadoran media, both throughout the week and following the January 25 press conference that the delegation held to share their conclusions publicly. The media coverage included an hour-and-a-half interview on the national radio station YSUCA, coverage on television Channel 21 and Channel 33, and three full-length articles, including two front page articles, in the Diario Colatino newspaper. The coverage on television Channel 21 included interviews with the Vice-President of El Salvador and the Minister of Foreign Relations of El Salvador, publicly asking their perspectives on the conclusions of the delegation.

Since returning to the United States, the delegation has been in contact with a number of Congresspeople and Senators, including the 42 Congresspeople who sent letters of concern about the case to Salvadoran President Saca last July.

Rural communities and social movement organizations to march from Suchitoto

The communities of CRIPDES, together with other social organizations including CORDES, PROVIDA, and the MPR-12, among others, will be walking from the Central Park in Suchitoto to the Special Tribunal building in San Salvador, with over 1,200 people participating in the three-day walk. The walk has been named the Perigrinacion Nacional por la Verdad, la Justicia y la Libertad Total de los Luchadores y Luchadoras Sociales: the National Pilgrimage for Truth, Justice, and the Total Liberty of the Social Organizers (the Suchitoto 13). Sister Cities will be posting live updates at www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org throughout the three days of the walk.

As the case proceeds in court the coming week

As the case proceeds in court in the coming week, the eyes of the international community are focused on the important precedent the Salvadoran government and judiciary is about to set, and our hearts are with the dozens of communities and hundreds of people marching for justice and the freedom of the political prisoners. Sister Cities will be posting news as soon as it is available, including information about what actions of support we can take. Something we have seen and heard again and again in the past months is about the importance of social organizing and international solidarity in the case of the anti-terrorist law, because it is a case that is not just in the courts, but rather is political, and will depend on political and social action to resolve with justice.

Human Rights Delegation Meets with El Salvador Dignitaries

Human Rights Delegation from the US Meets with El Salvador Dignitaries Concerning Prosecution of 13 Organizers and Participants in Demonstration Against Water Privatization Under “Anti-Terrorism” Law. Hearing Scheduled for February 8^th, Before Designated Terrorism Tribunal

A human rights delegation from the US will be meeting with the president of El Salvador’s Supreme Court, the government’s Human Rights Ombudsman, the United States Embassy, and representatives of the thirteen being prosecuted and their legal team. The meetings concern the application of El Salvador’s new “Anti-terrorism” law to social protest, a law modeled after the US Patriot Act. A request has been given to meet with Salvadoran President Tony Saca and the Attorney General, as well.

The delegation has been supported so far by letters from US Congressional Representatives Mike Michaud (ME), Baldwin (WI) and Melissa Bean (IL), requesting that officials met with the delegation, whom they will be expecting a report back from. The dates of the delegation are January 19-27, 2008. January 16^th is the 16^th year anniversary of the signing of the Peace Accords. The delegation will be writing a document representing their visit, and will report back to US government representatives, organizations and media on their return. To follow their visit -www.weru.org.

Background:

After signing Inter-American Development Bank loans in 1998, opening the door to water privatization, and 2003 free trade agreements, which push the healthcare system towards privatization, the Salvadoran government has faced increasing resistance from a population opposed to shifts in social services. These same populations also have been resisting the plans of foreign trans-national companies to strip-mine rural communities for minerals, like gold.

In a climate of increased popular resistance, in October 2006, the government, approved decree #108, the “Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism”. The law re-writes several articles of the Salvadoran penal code, including elastic language open for subjective interpretation by police and judges, particularly concerning protest activity. As the SHARE Foundation and the Washington Office on Latin America write “In observations addressed to the Legislative Assembly during the law’s deliberation, the office of the Human Rights Ombudsman highlighted several concerns with the law : its failure to establish criteria for a precise definition of terrorism; sentences disproportionate to the severity of the crimes outlined in the law; and the need to ensure that the law would not lead to the criminalization of protest."

The terrorism law additionally abrogates basic tenets of due process and imposes penalties of up to 60 years in prison for infractions that previously were constitutionally protected as freedom of expression.

The government first attempted to apply the law to demonstrators for the Vendors Movement last May. In July, however, fourteen organizers and participants of a mass demonstration against “water decentralization”, seen as the first step towards privatization, were arrested. Thirteen have been charged with “Acts of Terrorism” and await a February 8^th hearing before an extra-judicial special tribunal convened for the trial under the terrorism law..Two of the organizers charged are the president and vice-president of the Association of Rural Communities for the Development of El Salvador (CRIPDES), a leading and historic advocacy organization. Additionally charged is an accompanying journalist and driver. All were only on route to the demonstration when arrested. Riot police responded violently to the demonstration, also chasing participants from rural communities through the hills with helicopters, tactics reminiscent of the war. For nearly a month the group was held in “preventative detention” under squalid conditions.

Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, Tutela Legal (the human rights monitoring office of the Archdiocese of San Salvador) have all sharply questioned the arrests, the use of excessive force by police, and the misuse of the antiterrorism law. A YouTube video provides footage of the capture by National Civilian Police of the two CRIPDES executive officers, the journalist, and driver, which underlines the fact that the activity of those arrested was the attempt to attend a political demonstration.

In addition to concern expressed by Salvadoran organizations and human rights monitoring groups, the incident and the Salvadoran government’s apparent determination to prosecute the defendants as terrorists, has precipitated widespread concern in the U.S. and in the U.S. Congress. An open letter to President Saca in the Salvadoran Press in July was signed by 60 U.S.-based organizations. Representative Chaka Fattah has entered remarks into the Congressional Record. Rep. Jim McGovern, whose extensive knowledge of El Salvador is well recognized, has written a lengthy letter to President Saca expressing his concerns. A Dear Colleague letter signed by forty-one Congressional Representatives expressing similar concerns was sent to President Saca on August 2.

**The space for the common protests of the social movement of El Salvador has been additionally closed with changes to the country’s Public Disorder Law. On August 16, by a one-vote margin, the national assembly modified article 348 of the Salvadoran Penal Code to change disorderly conduct from a misdemeanor to a felony. Within three weeks of passage, the government proceeded to arrest eight executive board members of the Trade Union of Nursing Workers of El Salvador (SIGEESAL). They were charged with disorderly conduct for having participated in a demonstration in July to protest lack of medicines and privatization of health care services. As with the leaders of CRIPDES, those arrested were eventually released from jail but remain charged with felonies, in this case now punishable by up to eight years in prison.

**Human rights groups additionally question whether the deteriorating human rights situation in El Salvador should invoke questions of accountability and US Congressional oversight, concerning US taxpayer supported development funds and El Salvador’s stated commitment to democratic principles. The $461 million awarded to El Salvador through the Millennium Challenge Account was predicated on specific criteria for “Ruling Justly”, four of whose six salient criteria are “rule of law”, “political rights” “civil liberties,” and “voice and accountability.”

A 2003 Human Rights Watch report published for the 59th session of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights highlighted the degree to which the United States has muted its criticism of poor human rights behavior of governments which have become newfound allies in the “fight against terrorism.“ El Salvador is the only Latin American country to have troops in Iraq. Since July, the Salvadoran government’s behavior has elicited not one public comment from either our State Department or Embassy. Organizations monitoring human and civil rights in El Salvador since the violently repressive civil war years, see the current actions by the government and police forces as a dangerous sign that the climate for political expression is dramatically slipping. A central component of the 1992 Peace Accords in El Salvador, was the creation of a protected space in El Salvador for political expression, free from the extreme repression that originally precipitated the armed conflict. Organizations and community members are questioning whether the Peace Accords are being violated, and also question the constitutionality of the new reforms in the terrorism and public disorder, and it’s apparent aim to chill dissent from the governments policies.

(For interviews and further information, please contact:
US El Salvador Sister Cities Network:
Emily Carpenter, National Director, US-El Salvador Sister Cities (English and Spanish speaking), (514) 664-1074, sistercities@gmail.com
Marc Rosenthal, US-El Salvador Sister Cities (English speaking)
(608) 215-3358, (608) 257-8571

CRIPDES - The Association for Rural Communities for the Development of El Salvador:
Lorena Martinez, CRIPDES (Spanish speaking)
(011-503) 2226-3717, cripdes@telesal.net
Bernardo Belloso, CRIPDES (Spanish speaking)
(011-503) 2226-3717, (011-503) 2235-4005, cripdes@telesal.net )