MATHRICH@UMCVMB.BITNET (Rich Winkel UMC Math Department) (02/10/90)
From soc.rights.human Tue Feb 6 12:46:00 1990
From: gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us (Gary S. Trujillo)
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Subject: Re: GUATEMALA... [long]
/** carnet.guatenews: 37.0 **/
** Topic: Union Leader Threatened in Guatema **
** Written 1:17 pm Jan 28, 1990 by ghrc in cdp:carnet.guatenews **
HUMAN RIGHTS ALERT 2 January 28, 1990
UNION LEADER THREATENED
The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA has received reports that
Juan Luiz Coy Monzon, Publicity Secretary for the STINDE (National
Electricity Institute) has received death threats and there is fear
for his safety.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The trade union workers from the National Electricity Institute
(STINDE) have been receiving many death threats. Many of its
members have had to leave Guatemala. Jose Sugura, one of the
members was murdered in September.
Juan Luiz Coy has been under various threats. On April 7, l989,
three plainsclothesmen attempted to kidnap the 12 year old daughter.
When Mr. Coy's wife protected her daughter she was attacked.
In December, men in police uniform came to his home, and asked for
him.
On Monday, January 22, the same men came, however, not in police
uniforms. The men told Mr. Coy's wife that it would be better for
him not to come to the house any more, and the best thing for him
to do would be to leave the country if he did not want to suffer.
Recommended Action: Telegrams/telexes/express and airmail letters:
+ expressing concern about the physical safety of Juan Luis Coy:
+ asking that the threats of death and intimidations against union
workers and their families be investigated and those responsible be
brought to justice.
+ urging the government to take measures to protect union workers
and their families.
Appeals to:
Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo Gen. Hector A. Gramajo
Presidente de la Republica de Ministro de Defensa
Guatemala Ministerio de Defensa
Palacio Nacional Palacio Nacional
Guatemala, Guatemala Guatemala, Guatemala
(Telegrams: Presidente Cerezo (Telegrams: Ministro Defensa,
Guatemala, Guatemala) Guatemala, Guatemala)
(Telexes: (305) 5331 CAPRES GU) (Telexes: (305) 5321
RELPUB GU)
Copies to:
Ambassador Rodolfo Rohrmoser V.
Embassy of Guatemala
2220 R St NW Washington DC 20009
** End of text from cdp:carnet.guatenews **
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/** carnet.guatenews: 38.0 **/
** Topic: Human rights Update #4 1990 **
** Written 6:11 am Jan 30, 1990 by ghrc in cdp:carnet.guatenews **
HUMAN RIGHTS UPDATE #4
JANUARY 24, 1990
EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS
The corpses of BALDOMERO ICH (16) and JULIO ARRIAGA (53) were
found in Guatemala City and El Quiche respectively. Both men had
been shot to death. (Jan. 23)
Three unidentified males were found dead between Jan. 19 and 22: a
fireman in Suchitepequez, someone in El Quiche who was strangled,
and someone on the highway to El Salvador who was shot.
DISAPPEARED
Nicaraguan citizens STANFORD DERIK, MISSTER STING and JOHNY CHAO
were abducted by seven armed men in the Hotel Canada in Izabal.
Nicaraguan Embassy Chancellor Reynaldo Payan condemned the
abductions and asked for an investigation, recalling the murder of
Nicaraguan Embassy Second Secretary Jorge Vargas in December,
which has not been solved. (Jan. 20)
OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Council of Ethnic Communities "Runujel Junam" (CERJ) activist
ANDRES VENTURA LOPEZ, married and father of two, died in El Quiche
after falling in a ditch. According to a CERJ statement, he was
fleeing from military agents who were trying to catch him and
force him into military service despite the fact that he was
legally exempt from such service. (Jan. 17)
SANDRA PALMIERI, daughter of a businessman, was kidnaped in
Guatemala City by armed men and threatened with death. She
escaped. Her abduction occurred where Christian Democrat leader
Danilo Barillas was killed last summer. (Jan. 19)
The National Dialogue Human Rights Commission on Jan. 19 denounced
the attack on REVEREND MIGUEL PALACIOS, which occurred Jan. 18 in
front of the Brazilian Embassy in Zone 14 of Guatemala City. Two
well-dressed men between the ages of 18 and 23 threatened Rev.
Palacios with a pistol and stole his 1989 Toyota Land Cruiser and
his briefcase, which contained National Reconciliation Commission
documents and personal professional papers.
The home of lawyer CESAR BENJAMIN LAPARRA PEREZ (38), located on
15 Ave. 8-20 in Zone 2 of Quezaltenango, was shot at during the
night of Jan. 18 by men in an unidentified vehicle. Three bullets
lodged in the wall of the house, but no one was injured. The
motive for the attack is unknown. According to relatives, Laparra
Perez does not participate in politics.
The Agricultural Workers Union (CTC) reported that several
campesino leaders from different areas of the country received
death threats and suffered attempts against their lives. The CTC
also stated that its Secretary General received death threats
three weeks earlier and that trade unionist GABINO MARTINEZ
escaped an attempt on his life by three armed men who had been
following him in Mazatenango, Suchitepequez. (Jan. 20)
The Unity of Trade Union and Popular Action (UASP) reported that
over 350 sugar harvesters on the La Mixquena estate in Patulul,
Suchitepequez, are afraid they will be kidnapped and killed. They
began a work stoppage on Jan. 11 and were threatened with "strong
punishment" by the estate owner. The sugar harvesters claim that,
while they harvest between 50 and 60 quintals (1 quintal=100 lbs.)
of sugar cane daily, they are paid for only having harvested 25-
30. The Committee for Campesino Unity (CUC) reported that in
other estates workers are paid for 15-20 less quintals of coffee
and 15-30 less quintals of cotton than they actually pick. (Jan.
23)
Swiss Ambassador to Guatemala ULF LEWIN announced that he received
two threatening phone calls on Jan. 21 saying that a bomb would
soon be thrown into his house on 19 St. in Zone 14 of Guatemala
City. Police surveillance of Lewin's residence has been
increased.
OTHER INFORMATION
HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY PROMISES INVESTIGATION OF MASSACRES Human
Rights Attorney Ramiro de Leon Carpio committed himself to
carrying out an exhaustive investigation of the El Aguacate
massacre of November 1988. He said that the dossier in his office
does not contain the testimonies of eleven survivors or the
victims' grandparents. Also missing are the statements of army
officials involved in the massacre and alleged massacre accomplice
Eleodoro Sal Siquinajay. (Jan. 17)
200 UNIONS SIGN LETTER TO CEREZO The secretaries of 200 trade
unions, all members of the UASP, sent a letter to President Cerezo
in which they analyze the political economy of the government.
The letter states that the working class has only been given
measures that affect them adversely, while "great financial
benefits [have been awarded] to the group of exporters and illegal
owners of the national wealth at the expense of the further
impoverishment of the poor." They asked Cerezo to take the
following measures: control prices and the quetzal exchange rate;
pass a law of forced leasing of idle lands; respect rent prices
and establish Decree 155-C; pass a law on obligatory short term
salary negotiations, so that workers and business persons can
establish salary conditions; eliminate the fuel tax ("compensation
fund"); take realistic measures to eliminate corruption; and
eliminate unnecessary paper work for union registration, attaching
the process to the country's Constitution. (Jan. 17)
WORKERS PROTEST HIGH COST OF LIVING In a demonstration called by
the UASP, more than 8000 rural and urban workers marched through
the streets of the capital to the National Palace, where they
protested recent economic decisions by the government which caused
increases in the cost of public services such as urban transport,
electricity and water. (Jan. 17)
PSD LEADERS ACCUSE GUATEMALAN AND SALVADORAN PARAMILITARY GROUPS
OF WORKING TOGETHER Socialist Democrat Party (PSD) leaders Julio
Fernandez and Saul Pinto Alegria, referring to the murders of
Salvadoran opposition leader Hector Oqueli Colindres and PSD
member and Guatemalan lawyer Gilda Flores, said that there is a
connection or pact between paramilitary groups in El Salvador and
Guatemala which are part of the governmental apparatus. They said
there is a possibility that the PSD will not participate in the
National Assembly electoral process as a way of protesting the
absence of conditions of security and peace necessary to an
electoral campaign. (Jan. 18)
1/24/90, p.2
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ARRIVES IN GUATEMALA A mission of the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights arrived in Guatemala
Jan. 22 to make observations on human rights violations, including
the El Aguacate massacre and the murders of Dr. Oqueli Colindres
and Gilda Flores. The Commission will exchange impressions with
Cerezo, trade union leaders, and members of professional,
university and political institutions, in order to better enable
itself to form criteria for human rights in Guatemala.
GOVERNMENT TO INVESTIGATE MURDERS OF OQUELI AND FLORES President
Cerezo announced the formation of a commission that will
investigate the extrajudicial executions of Oqueli Colindres and
Flores. The commission will have eight members, among them Human
Rights Attorney Ramiro de Leon Carpio, National Police Chief
Valerio Cardenas, and Treasury Police Director Miguel Rodriguez.
(Jan. 20)
QUETZAL DEVALUED The Bank of Guatemala announced Jan 20 that the
quetzal was again devaluated by 1.6% of its value in relation to
the dollar. The exchange rate now stands at 3.59 quetzals to the
dollar.
GOVERNMENT DECORATES CHILEAN GENERAL Foundation for Guatemalan
Development Director Juan Chavez reported that he participated in
a delegation that decorated the General Director of the Chilean
Police. The armies of Chile and Guatemala have maintained close
relations ever since Pinochet's rise to power. Chilean
intelligence officials have been advisors to the Guatemalan police
and the army's intelligence services. (Jan. 21)
IS MISSION ARRIVES IN GUATEMALA TO INVESTIGATE MURDERS With the
objective of demanding a prompt and effective investigation of the
murders of Oqueli Colindres and Flores, a special mission of the
Socialist International (IS) arrived in Guatemala Jan. 22 from El
Salvador, where they had met with President Alfredo Cristiani and
high ranking military officials. In Guatemala the mission met
with Cerezo, Defense Minister Hector Gramajo, Interior Minister
Carlos Villatoro, and Human Rights Attorney Ramiro de Leon Carpio.
MEXICAN GOVERNMENT TO BE GUATEMALA'S NEGOTIATOR AT THE UN
Guatemala Chancellor Ariel Rivera reported that the Mexican
government will serve as negotiator in the case of human rights in
Guatemala at the next meeting of the United Nations Human Rights
Commission, which will take place in February in Geneva. (Jan.
23)
SWISS LABOR ORGANIZATION PROTESTS KILLINGS AND ABDUCTIONS The
Solidarity Fund of the Swiss Union Movement demanded that the
Guatemalan government investigate and clarify the abductions and
murders of workers JOSE LEON DE LA CRUZ, JUAN MOC, TOMAS CALACHIC
and TEODORO MENDEZ. In a letter they protested against the
"repressive methods of the estate owners" and against the
government and army's support for the owners of agricultural
plantations. They asked the owners to negotiate with the unions
and support the labor demands presented by them, which include a
wage of ten quetzals per quintal of coffee and cotton and per ton
of sugar cane harvested, Sunday pay, drinking water and work tool
supplies. (Jan. 23)
This information was compiled by the Comision de Derechos Humanos
de Guatemala (CDHG) from El Grafico, Prensa Libre, La Hora,
Excelsior and La Jornada. Dates in parentheses indicate when CDHG
obtained the information.
1/24/90, p.3
** End of text from cdp:carnet.guatenews **
--
Gary S. Trujillo gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us
Somerville, Massachusetts {wjh12,spdcc,ima,cdp}!gnosys!gst