[Cispes-Alert] Salvadoran Police and Military Repress Rural Community Working to Defend Water Resources

Thu Nov 15 12:10:06 EST 2007

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November 2007

CISPES ACTION ALERT

Salvadoran Police and Military Repress Rural Community Working to Defend
Water Resources

Join CISPES and thousands more from November 16-18 at the annual protest of
the School
<http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=310&Itemid=
29>  of the Americas, the precursor to the Salvadoran ILEA

In the Salvadoran department of Santa Ana, residents of Cutumay Camones have
been peacefully resisting the illegal construction of a garbage dump in
their community for the past months. The resistance comes as the
construction of the dump will contaminate the only water source and create a
series of health problem for 10 communities who obtain their water from this
site.  In August, the military and the police violently entered the
community and have remained since then as if their job was to protect the
interests of the private company.

In the previous two months, the Environmental Ministry was at fault for
granting the private company Presys with the construction permits they
needed to build the dump despite their permit application lacking required
information. The application did not have an adequate environmental impact
report and was in violation of Article 25 of the Environmental Law, which
demands that the public be consulted on any such project. Not only is the
construction of the dump illegal, it is being rejected by the community who
was not consulted as the Environmental Law dictates. 

On October 12, police attacked with tear gas and rubber bullets, wounding
many people. Then on October 25 the community was victim of another violent
attack by the riot police. While the police and military remain in the area
the community fears a military intervention. Media footage of the repressive
police actions has been widely distributed, alerting the international
community of these violent attacks and revealing the excess force of the
riot police acted. You can see a video
<http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=305&Itemid=
29>  of the attack here.

The Santa Ana mayor has threatened that if the community maintains their
resistance, the “riot police (UMO) will continue to intervene.” Various
social organizations, including the Water Workers Union SETA, are aware of
the threat the community is facing, and have expressed their solidarity to
the community by organizing a series of actions to denounce the military and
police repression. The people of Cutumay Camones have pledged to continue
their struggle to protect the health of their families and their vital water
source despite threats, violent attacks, and a dirty campaign against
community leaders,.  Some community leaders have begun a hunger strike and
will be relieved by others in the days to come.  

The United States government has a responsibility to speak out against
US-trained riot police who are targeting civilians in El Salvador. The
Salvadoran government continues to bolster the repressive National Civil
Police through the US-sponsored International Law Enforcement Academy
(ILEA). Your action is critical in defending peaceful resistance, in
solidarity with those who are struggling to keep water accessible and public
in El Salvador (see below)! 

Take Action!

1. Fax and email Minister of Security Rene Figueroa to demand the immediate
withdrawal of military and police from the community Cutumay Camones. See
below for sample letter and contact information.

2. Call the State Department and demand that the United States government
hold the Salvadoran government accountable for these acts.  Contact Jeremy
Cornforth at the U.S. State Department’s El Salvador desk at 202-647-3505.
See below for sample script

3. Please join CISPES and thousands more from November at the annual protest
of the School <http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=1295>  of the Americas,
the precursor to the Salvadoran ILEA.  Find out about the exciting events
CISPES
<http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=310&Itemid=
29>  is participating in at the SOA here.

-----------

Sample letter to e-mail or fax to Minister of Security Rene Figueroa and
National Police Director Rodrigo Avila

Minister of Security Rene Figueroa

Fax: 011-503-2281-5959

carlos.bonilla at seguridad.gob.sv
<mailto:carlos.bonilla at seguridad.gob.sv?subject=carlos.bonilla at seguridad.gob
.sv> 

Sr. Ministro de Seguridad Rene Figueroa y Sr. Director de la Policía Rodrigo
Ávila 

Conozco el caso de violencia policial en contra de los habitantes de la
comunidad Cutumay Camones quienes pacíficamente estaban impidiendo la
construcción de un basurero que contaminara la única fuente de agua que
abastece a 10 comunidades. Da lastima ver el retroceso que la Policía
Nacional Civil esta teniendo con relación a los Acuerdos de Paz, ya que esta
fue creada para aplicar las leyes de la nación, no para reprimir junto con
las fuerzas armadas las resistencias pacificas de la población.    

Si a puras penas estas comunidades están sobreviviendo dentro de la
situación económicamente pésima en la que se vive en El Salvador lo último
que los habitantes necesitan es que se les contaminen su única fuente de
agua y que después sean obligados a comprar el vital líquido. Después de
haber violado el artículo 25 de la Ley del Medio Ambiente donde se establece
que la población debe de ser consultada en proyectos como ese, la única
forma de expresión es la resistencia pacifica.

En vez de mantener su carácter civil y de servicio a la población la policía
salvadoreña se ha vuelto un arma en contra de la sociedad civil perdiéndose
cada día más la razón por la que fue creada en los Acuerdos de Paz. Ahora
defiende los intereses privados de la compañía Presys y ataca violentamente
con gases lacrimógenos y balas de goma a la gente que tiene que por
obligación proteger. Por lo tanto le pido que retire de la comunidad a la
policía y a las fuerzas armadas, que la policía cumpla con su misión de
proteger al pueblo salvadoreño y que no vuelva a atacar ninguna otra
resistencia pacifica como la de Cutumay Camones.  Finalmente pedimos que la
policía deje de ser entrenada en la ILEA debido a que el índice de represión
por parte de la policía a incrementado desde que están siendo entrenados en
la academia.   

Atentamente,

______________ (name)

______________ (city, state, country)

----------------------------------------

You can use the following “script” to talk to Mr. Cornforth

1)       I’m calling because I am very concerned about the police attack on
the peaceful protesters from the Cutumay Camones community who were
resisting the construction of a garbage dump which will contaminate their
only water resource.  

2)       The Salvadoran police violently attacked the peaceful community
resistance– shooting rubber bullets and tear gas at close range – injuring
several residents within the community, and media correspondents. 

3)       The Salvadoran National Police reaction raises serious concerns on
human rights and the freedom of organization and expression.  

4)       The U.S. government has publicly supported the Salvadoran
government in militarizing and indoctrinating the Salvadoran police against
its people including supporting the approval of the anti-terrorism law in
September 2006.

5)       It is extremely important that the U.S. stand up for human rights
everywhere and not let peaceful resistance be criminalized in the name of a
fight against terrorism.  For that reason the US should stop the training of
the Salvadoran police in the International Law Enforcement Academy - ILEA.

For more information, see  <http://www.cispes.org/> www.cispes.org

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© 2007 CISPES - The Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador
CISPES National Office | ph. 202-521-2510 | 1525 Newton St. NW, Wash. DC
20010 | cispes at cispes.org

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