christic@labrea.Stanford.EDU (06/12/91)
/* Written 7:23 am Jun 11, 1991 by codehuca in cdp:carnet.alerts */
/* ---------- "URGENT CESAR JOYA VIELMAN " ---------- */
URGENT COMMUNIQUE June 10, 1991
DEATH SQUAD DESERTOR
FROM EL SALVADOR
This communique is an update on an earlier communique that
CODEHUCA published last week. CODEHUCA (Commission for the
Defense of Human Rights in Central America) informs the
international community that CESAR VIELMAN JOYA MARTINEZ,
Salvadorean, was captured on May 29, 1991, by U.S. Federal Agents
in Texas, and may soon be extradited to El Salvador, to face what
CODEHUCA believes are very questionable murder charges.
HISTORY
In 1989, Cesar Vielman deserted from the El Salvadorean
Armed Forces (FAS), where he was a member of a death squad. (A
copy of Cesar Vielman's testimony, given to CODEHUCA in the fall
of 1989, is available from our offices) Cesar Vielman went to the
U.S., where he has been since 1989.
Since his escape from the death squad, and from El Salvador,
Cesar Vielman has talked publicly and extensively about the
'modus operandi' of the 'death squads', the workings of the
clandestine death squads, making allegations concerning their
direct links to the FAS, and that the death squads receive
training from U.S. military advisors.
In his testimony, Cesar Vielman recognizes his role in the
assassination of Lucindo Parada Cea, who had been captured on
July 2, 1989, by soldiers of the Ist Infantry Brigade. Lucindo
was captured in a place called 'Loma El Jute', together with four
other men: Fausto Garcia Funes, Andres Hernandez Carpio, Jose
Catalino Melendez, y Hector Joaquin Miranda Marroquin. The four
were brutally tortured during their time of capture, in the Ist
Infantry Brigade.
On July 3, Hector, Lucio, Catarino, and Carlos were
separated from the other captured persons and taken to the Barba
Rubia farm, in the pueblo of Nejapa. Lucio died as a result of
the torture he received. Hector died on July 13, in the Hospital
Rosales, due to the torture as well. He had been taken there by
members of the Ist Infantry Brigade.
In a number of Salvadorean newspapers, the chief of the Ist
Infantry Brigade -IIB- declared that he knew nothing of the
deaths of Lucio and Hector. Once the responsibility of the IIB,
for the torture and the assassinations, began to be publicly
known and recognized in El Salvador, Cesar Vielman and Gomez
Gomez were publicly accused with murders.
In his testimony, Cesar Vielman admits to have been a member
of the IIB, under the comand of Major Diaz Hernandez and Elena
Fuentes. He alleges that the Death Squads operated out of this
department. This Brigade has been accused of a number of other
massacres over the past 11 years along with innumerable human
rights violations.
EXTRADITION
On a number of occassions since the time of Cesar Vielman's
arrest, CODEHUCA has expressed its concern that one day the U.S.
might attempt to extradite Cesar Vielman back to El Salvador.
CODEHUCA is very worried that if Cesar is sent to El Salvador at
best he will face trumped murder charges and at worst his life
may be in danger.
In the U.S., in 1990, Cesar was captured and charged with
having illegally entered the U.S. in 1983. While this is
certainly illegal, it appears very suspicious that of the
hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in the U.S., the INS
officials saw fit to arrest Cesar.
Nevertheless, on May 29, Cesar complied with his jail
sentence for the previous illegal entry. On that same day, as he
was leaving the detention Centre, he was captured by the Federal
Authorities.
PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE ?
CODEHUCA, with resepct to the above, argues that one could
consider Cesar Vielman as a type of prisoner of conscience - he
has denounced his participation in the Death Squads; he is
denouncing the assassinations and human rights violations of the
death squads; and he has denounced the links between the death
squads and the armed Forces and with U.S. military advisors.
SCAPE-GOAT
It is CODEHUCA's opinion that the Salvadorean government
wishes to put Cesar Vielman on trial and then turn him into a
scape-goat for the thousands of crimes that the Armed Forces have
committed. The implications of this case are obvious for so many
other cases, such as that of the Jesuit Massacre.
It would be convenient for the Armed Forces and the
government to be able to find an Armed Forces desertor guilty of
crimes committed allegedly by the Armed Forces. Implicitely this
would suggest that assassinations are committed by common
criminals and that the Armed Forces punish military personnel
that are guilty. Meanwhile thousands of cases are never
addressed, and those that make it io the courts, languish there.
ACTIONS
On July 24, 1991, federal court judges in San Antonio, Texas
will hold the first extradition hearings. A successful
extradition order would, in CODEHUCA'S opinion, put Cesar
Vielman's life in serious danger, and it would put to an end the
important work he has been doing in denouncing the IMPUNITY of
the Armed Forces, one of the major underlying causes of human
rights abuses in El Salvador. With his extradition, impunity in
El Salvador will remain well entrenched.
CODEHUCA calls on the international community, and
particularly organizations in the U.S., to contact their
political representatives, local and international press
concerning this issue. If anyone or organization needs more
information concerning Cesar's past, let us know immediately.
1- Mr Baker, Secretary of State, 2201 C. St. NW, Washington,
D.C., 20515; 2- United States Congress, Congress Office Building,
Washington DC, 20515; 3- Senate of the U.S., Senate Office
Building, Washington DC, 20515; and 4- Mr Paul Simons, Texan
Congressperson, Congress Office Building, Washington, 20515.
Thank-you, CODEHUCA, AP 189-1002, San Jose, Costa Rica, Tel -
506-24-59-70, Fax - 506-34-29-35.