Forwarded message:
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 94 17:36 EST
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Christian Task Force on Central America BC)
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: campo pagado
CAMPO PAGADO
CANADIAN AND LATIN AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS IN CANADA PROCLAIM OUR
SOLIDARITY WITH THE GUATEMALAN PEOPLE SUFFERING A NEW WAVE OF
REPRESSION AND INTIMIDATION
We are aware that in the last week there has been a dramatic
increase in violent acts of repression by the government, the army
and emergency response teams against students, members of popular
organizations and the population in general.
We are very concerned about the following:
1. that the raising of urban public transit fares, added to the
privatization policies of the government, are resulting in yet
another violation of the economic rights of the already
impoverished Guatemalan people.
2. that when citizens have exercised their rights to
demonstrate and to express their discontent, the response has
been violent repression through direct attacks, detentions,
killings and disappearances. Among the victims of these
attacks we know of student MARIO ALFONSO LOPEZ SANCHES and LUIS
FERNANDEZ CALDERON, who were both killed, wounded students
GUILLERMO FERNANDEZ, MARIO MAZARIEGOS and ERICK MIJANGOS, as
well as 32 other suffering from gunshot wounds, 90 detained
people and dozens of people poisoned by tear gas.
3. that under the presidency of the former human rights
prosecutor, Ramiro de Leon Carpio, the University of San Carlos
was violently invaded, violating both the autonomy of the
university and the Constitution of the Republic.
4. that having signed the Human Rights Accord in March of this
year, neither the government, the army nor the United Nations
have taken any significant steps to implement the agreements.
On the contrary, we know that human rights violations have
increased and that repressive government forces and
paramilitary groups continue to enjoy the same impunity as
before. As examples of this we cite the public death threats
recently made against various individuals, the recent torture
and killing of returned refugee MANUEL LOPEZ in the Ixcan and
the persecution and killing of unionists and journalists who
exercise their rights and freedoms.
Because of all the above, the organizations and individuals
signing here have organized a campaign of denunciation and
pressure:
- to ask the Canadian government to reconsider all economic aid,
whether direct or indirect, to the Guatemalan government and to
reaffirm its commitment to those projects that truly reach the
people in need.
- to ask Canadian companies to reconsider the commercial relations
they have established in Guatemala as long as human rights are not
respected there.
- to inform the Canadian public of the escalating repression
against the Guatemalan people and members of international
solidarity such as U.S. citizen Jennifer Harbury and Spanish
citizen Graciela Pasi.
We demand that the Guatemalan government:
-put an end to attacks on the Guatemalan people by government
forces
-ensure respect for the physical integrity of the people who have
been detained, disappeared and threatened with death
-stop their privatization policies and find a solution to the
transit problem
-respect and fulfill the agreements signed by the government, army
and the URNG, especially the installment of a UN Verification
Commission (MINAGUA)
-respect the autonomy of the University of San Carlos
-ensure the prosecution of those responsible, both intellectually
and materially, for the recent acts of repression.
FOR THE RIGHT TO LIFE
FOR THE RIGHT TO PEACE
FOR THE RIGHT OF ALL GUATEMALANS TO EXERCISE THE FREEDOM THAT THE
CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC GUARANTEES
