LL:AA: please support Ecuadorian activists

[Friends of the Earth Fitzroy]

Dear Friends,

We are writing in the hope you will be able to support activists who have
been detained in Ecuador.

Last Monday, july 10th a group of campesinos occupied the embassy of the
Vatican in Quito , Ecuador. They were protesting against the social effects
of IMF imposed structural Adjustment measures. The action was supported by
Accion Ecologica, (FoE Ecuador), who have issued this action alert.

The campesinos have now been removed from the Embassy and three leaders
have been detained. Accion Ecologica now requests your support. Please send
a letter to the addresses below to protest against the detaining of the
leaders of the protest action. Please keep FoE Ecuador informed about your
actions <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

We would greatly appreciate your support on this matter,
Regards
Cam Walker
National Liaison Officer
Friends of the Earth Australia.
   ===================================

   Quito Ecuador

   12 July 2000

THREE HELD AFTER CHURCH ORDERS VATICAN EMBASSY PROTESTERS FORCEABLY DISLODGED

Three leaders remain under arrest after more the than 50 people from
campesino, environmental and human rights organisations who had peacefully
occupied the Vatican Embassy in Quito were forcibly dislodged on Monday night.

The Embassy was occupied in a peaceful protest over IMF inspired structural
adjustment measures, including the privatisation of the state Social
Security  system, which would leave 1,000,000 campesinos from some of the
poorest areas of the country, to their fate. The protesters had asked that
the church mediate on their behalf.

However rather than helping the poor and downtrodden, after lecturing the
campesino leaders on the sanctity of private property, the order was given
by the Council of Bishops, headed by Monsignor Antonio Arregui, to forcibly
dislodge the protesters.

Approximately 100 police broke down the doors of the embassy and entered
from all sides. Ten were arrested, while the rest of the protesters who had
settled down to sleep in two small rooms were unceremoniously bundled into
a police bus.

Of the ten, seven have now been released. However, Jorge Loor, the
president of the Association of Affiliates of the Campesino Social
Security, Jorge Trujillo, the President of the Social Security Workers
Union, and Julio Flores, Director of the Popular Coordinator of Quito were
all detained and have, as far as can be ascertained, now been charged with
invading private property.

There is much confusion around the legal validity of the police action and
the nature of the charges that may or may not have been laid. While it
appears clear that as owner of the Embassy only the Vatican, or its
representatives, can legally request police action, exactly who gave the
order and is responsible for the charges remains obscure. The Vatican
Ambassador denied this morning that he himself had given the order to
dislodge the activists.
On the other hand the Ecuadorian Attorney General Marianna Yepez, amongst
others, has unofficially confirmed that the Council of Bishops was
responsible for the actions. As the embassy falls under the jurisdiction of
international law the Ecuadorian state or its representatives can not take
action on their own initiative. However, no one in the church, or state,
has taken responsibility for dislodging the campesinos or for pressing
charges. No written order has appeared.

Meanwhile the whereabouts of the three political detainees, who are without
legal representation, is unknown and family members have been denied the
opportunity to visit or speak with them.

Please send a copy of the bulletin to any contacts you might have, IN
PARTICULAR WE URGENTLY NEED TO REACH MEMBERS OF THE  INTERNATIONAL PRESS.
We would also ask that you send letters/fax of suport for the detained
people to:

   Gustavo Noboa Bejarano,
   Presidente de la Republica del Ecuador
   Palacio del Carondelet
   Quito Ecuador

   fax 593-2-580-735

   MonsignorAntonio Arregui,
   Presidente
   Conferencia Episcopal Ecuatoriana
   Avenida America y La Gasca
   Quito Ecuador

   Fax 593-2-501-429


   FOR MORE INFORMATION:

   Aurora Donoso, President, Accion Ecologica/ FoE Ecuador Tel/fax
593-2-547-516/527-583, Email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

   Cesar Cabrrera President,
   National Campesino Coordinating Committee Tel/fax 593-2-580-169
___________________________________________________________

---------------------------
forwarded by Friends of the Earth (FoE) Australia
National Liaison Office
Box 222, Fitzroy, 3065, AUSTRALIA
Phone + 61 + 3 + 9419 8700
Facsimile + 61 + 3 + 9416 2081
www.foe.org.au
FoE Australia is a national federation of local groups working towards a
socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future. It is the
national member of FoE International, which is active in 61 countries.
---------------------------

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