CISPES's "We Are Not Terrorists, Organizing is Democracy!" tour from Oct 16-31. lindaframirez <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> lindaframirez : [NLGInternational]
> Alert! US Embassy Declares Salv. Union's Anti-Privatization > Work "Dangerous" to U.S. Public > Friday, 21 September 2007 > **Take Action to demand that the U.S. government stop denying visas > to opposition voices!** > > On Thursday 20, the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador denied Salvadoran > union leader Maria de los Angeles Pleitez Carcamo a visa to come on > a speaking tour of the U.S. Pleitez is scheduled to participate in > CISPES's "We Are Not Terrorists, Organizing is Democracy!" tour from > Oct 16-31. During the tour Pleitez will talk about her union's work > to stop the privatization of the public health care system and the > increasing repression that social movement and union leaders are > suffering from the Salvadoran government. > On the morning of September 20, Pleitez went to the U.S. Consulate > in San Salvador and presented all of her documents, including proof > of work, family ties, and over a dozen letters of invitation from > Congressional Representatives and other community groups. In the > visa interview, the U.S. consular representative questioned Pleitez > about her ties to CISPES and her union work. The official rejection > letter cited lack of "economic and social ties" to El Salvador, but > the interviewing officer made it clear that the rejection was a > political decision when he concluded the interview, saying "this is > very delicate situation...you cannot travel because we need to protect > U.S. security." > > Pleitez believes she was denied the visa because the U.S. government > does not want people in the United States to know about repression > against the social movement and union leaders in El Salvador. > Pleitez is a national leader in the Salvadoran General Hospitals > Union (SIGEESAL), and SIGEESAL has recently been targeted for its > work to stop privatization. On September 4, eight SIGEESAL members > were illegally arrested for participating in a demonstration against > the privatization of the national health care system. A number of > other organizations have also been attacked for their activism > recently. In July, 14 people were arrested in Suchitoto for > participating in a peaceful protest against the privatization of > water. Those protesters are being charged with "terrorist acts" and > face up to 60 years of prison. The SIGEESAL activists are being > charged with public disorder and could also face years in prison. > > The U.S. Embassy in El Salvador is contributing to the repression of > the social movement and union organizing by denying this visa and > not allowing Ms. Pleitez to tell their stories in the United States > As long as the U.S. government is supporting this repression in El > Salvador it is critical that communities in the U.S. be allowed to > meet with people like Pleitez to share experiences and build common > strategies. The only "danger" we face is allowing the government to > keep us uninformed! Take action to demand that the U.S. Consulate > grant Ms. Pleitez a visa immediately. > > TAKE ACTION! > > 1. Write to the Consul General of the US Embassy in El Salvador to > demand that Pleitez immediately be granted a visa. Write to Carl > Cockburn, Consul General -Fax: 011(503)2278-5522, or e-mail to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:congensansal%40state.govThis> email > address is being protected from > spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it (see below for > sample fax) > > 2. Report back on your discussion or send a copy of your message and > any reply to the CISPES National Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > <mailto:cispes%40cispes.orgThis> email > address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript > enabled to view it . > > ---------------------------------------------------------- > ----------- > > Sample Fax/Email: > * Organizations and Unions, please send letter on institutional > letterhead. > > To: Carl S. Cockburn, Consul General > US Embassy, El Salvador > 011-503-2278-5522 > > September 20, 2007 > > Dear Mr. Carl S. Cockburn, > > I am writing to express my concern about your office's decision to > deny Ms. Maria de los Angeles Pleitez Carcamo her visa on September > 20. Ms. Pleitez has been invited to tour the United States this > fall, and she has gone through all the appropriate steps to secure a > visa to enter the U.S. She appeared at the Embassy with the > necessary documentation, including written invitations from U.S. > Congressional Representatives, unions, and other organizations, as > well as proof of her multiple years of employment in El Salvador. > > All of this evidence is more than enough to prove Ms. Pleitez's ties > to El Salvador, and therefore I question the official letter of > denial stating that she has not proven ties to El Salvador (under > section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.) CISPES, the > organization inviting Ms. Pleitez for the tour, has been organizing > events like these for over 27 years and has never had anyone > overstay their visa. > > In fact, the statements of the Consul General - that Ms. Pleitez can > not travel to the U.S. "for the security of the country" - make the > political dimensions of the decision obvious. In her role as a union > leader Ms. Pleitez and her fellow union members have been targets of > recent police repression and arrests due to their resistance to > government privatization plans, and the U.S. government has > apparently decided to further silence those who express opposition > to government policy. > > It is shameful that the U.S. government, through the Consul > General's office, is denying people in the U.S. the right to learn > directly from Salvadorans about the issues facing working people in > Latin America. I insist that Ms. Pleitez be issued a visa > immediately so that she can arrive in the U.S. in time for the > October tour. > > Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. > > Sincerely, > > [name and organization/affiliation] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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