[Cispes-update] Appeals Judge Says Terrorism Case Should Go Forward, Provisionally Releases Four Prisoners

[CISPES National Office]

Please respond to the CISPES/Sister Cities Action Alert,
<http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=250&Itemid=
27> “Demand the Immediate Release of Political Prisoners in El Salvador!”
and participate in the call-in day targeting the US State Department on July
30.  Also, call your Congressional Rep to have them sign on to the Dear
Colleague letter related to the recent repression in El Salvador..  You
<http://www.cispes.org/documents/El%20Salvador%20Protesters%20Dear%20Colleag
ue%20Letter.doc>  can download that letter here.  More information at
www.cispes.org <http://www.cispes.org/> . 

 

 

Appeals Judge Says Terrorism Case Should Go Forward, Provisionally Releases
Four Prisoners

CISPES Update

July 25, 2007

 

After hours of deliberation on Thursday, July 19, a judge in the Specialized
Tribunals decided to release four of the Suchitoto political prisoners.  The
four prisoners released on Monday were Beatriz Eugenia Nuila, Haydee Chicas,
Sandra Guatemala and Ever Fuentes.  The Committee of Families of Political
Prisoners welcomed them in their “Liberation Camp,” a permanent gathering of
families and supporters in the central plaza of San Salvador. The families,
together with the social organizations and the FMLN have committed to
maintaining the gathering of public protest until the rest of the 9
political prisoners are released.  While the provisional release on bail was
cause for immediate celebration, the four will still face the terrorism
charges with the other prisoners in two months.  

 

Meanwhile, the new Human Rights Ombudsman, Oscar Luna, has demanded that the
police involved in the brutal repression of political prisoners be punished.
One of the prisoners whose abuse has been highlighted is Gertrudis
Valladares Aquino; he was brutally beaten by the riot police during and
after his arrest and he was hospitalized for seven days because of the
beating.  Luna has also called for an investigation into the reports by some
of the prisoners that police officers tortured them by threatening to throw
them into the Suchitlan Lake while the police were transporting the arrested
protestors in helicopter from Suchitoto to a nearby police station.  The
FMLN leadership has applauded Luna’s report and used it to call for the
creation of a special legislative commission to investigate the entire
process. 

 

Criminalizing Protest the “Legal” Way: Reforms to Penal Code

Under pressure both nationally and internationally, President Saca and his
cabinet have been making contradictory and diluted statements about the
Anti-Terrorism charges against the 13 Suchitoto prisoners.  Saca has made
vague statements, saying it is important to make a distinction between
“public disorder” and acts of terrorism, although Attorney General Garrid
Safie is maintaining his position that the terrorism charges still apply.

 

However, Saca is working to ensure that even if the terrorism charges are
thrown out the Suchitoto prisoners and others like them will still spend
significant time in jail.  Saca has proposed that the Legislative Assembly
approve a series of reforms to the Penal Code.  He wants the jail time for
“public disorder” and a newly created crime of “attempts against public
peace” to be punishable with 3-10 year imprisonment.  Given that protest
actions fall directly under the definitions of these two crimes, social
movement activists see this move as a further attempt to “legalize” the
criminalization of protest.  For example, under these reforms any two or
more people blocking a road in a “dangerous manner” can go to prison for 3-5
years, and it is written so that anyone who gathers in front of a public
hospital in protest could go to jail for up to ten years.  This second
reform to the Penal Code may be in response to the increasing mobilizing
against the steps Saca is taking towards the privatization of both water and
public health care.  Security Minister Rene Figueroa was most telling in his
comments when he said, “our interest is that those that are rebellious be
punished; they must be punished, either with the Anti-terrorism law or under
regular criminal law”. 

 

Electrical workers’ union leader murdered

Miguel Angel Vasquez Argueta, finance secretary of the historic electrical
workers union (STSEL, Union of Workers in the Electrical Sector) was
murdered on Wednesday, July 18.  Union members as well as the broader social
movement gathered to express condolences to his family as well as to fellow
STSEL members.  The climate of repression towards the social movement
immediately provoked fear that this could be a politically motivated murder.
However, with no immediate evidence the union and Vasquez’s family are
simply calling for a full investigation.  For more information, see the CEAL
report below.

 

Water workers’ union and social movement continue fight against
privatization

The fight against water privatization continues in El Salvador, despite the
government’s protest.  For a full article about the privatization struggle,
see the NACLA article at
http://news.nacla.org/2007/07/24/el-salvador-water-inc-and-the-criminalizati
on-of-protest/

 

 

From: Center of Labor Studies and Support (CEAL), El Salvador, Central
America.

VEIL OF DOUBT COVERS THE KIDNAPPING AND MURDER OF UNION LEADER.



Miguel Angel Vasquez, Leader of STSEL

Miguel Angel Vasquez was the Secretary of Finances of the Workers of the
Electrical Section (STSEL) Union. His friends and co-workers describe him as
methodical, orderly, a family man, and very dedicated to his union and his
co-workers. He joined STSEL (then known as ATCEL) in 1990 and had worked for
more than 20 years in the electric sector. ´He was a friend with a great
loyalty to the organization` says Roxana Deras, General Secretary of STSEL.
Another friend and co-worker identified as Ernesto, mentioned `He was a man
who would take the shirt off his back for another`. Many who knew him said
he was a man without pride and always worked in collaboration with others.
When co-workers look back through the years of labor conflicts, Miguel is
remembered as always being concerned about the wellbeing of his fired work
companions. Miguel was also a person with strong religious convictions.

On July 19th co-workers had a ceremony to commemorate Miguel's years of
service in the company ´Duke Energy’ where he worked. This ceremony included
executives of the company, who gave their condolences to his family and
friends, including friends from the local union. It is of note that STSEL
and Duke Energy maintained a normal labor relation, which included
collective bargaining.

The causes for his murder remain unclear for his family, the union
community, and the Salvadorian soical and popular movement.

IN THE CASE OF HIS WORK

Miguel’s wife stated that Miguel always came home after work. His co-workers
last saw him on Monday July 17th at 5pm after leaving the plant terminal of
Soyapango, the section he was in charge of. Friends of Miguel knew that his
plans were to go to the veterinary in downtown Sal Salvador to pick up some
vaccines. The owner of the veterinary, a friend of the family, said he never
arrived. It is supposed that he was kidnapped during this time, on his way
traveling to the veterinary

In the report from police, he was in the vicinity of ´Las Palmas´
neighborhood in the municipality of Mejicanos in the northern end of San
Salvador. They report that he was in a vehicle that he owned which was
parked on a side street in ‘Mejicanos’. 

There were several people in the parked car with him, and that the car was
kept running for close to two hours, with the lights on. Later, two shots
were heard and the vehicle sped off. 

The same vehicle owned by Miguel was later found at 12pm on Wednesday July
18th in Neighborhood ‘22 April’ in Soyapango. The search for Miguel by
family and friends started the same night, as they thought it was strange
and were worried that he had not come home or called the house. Police
investigators found an unknown body with two gunshots to the head at 9:10pm
on the night of July 17th. The next day family identified the body as Miguel
Ángel Vásquez. Miguel did not have any money or anything of value, only his
documents were taken.

Members of STSEL have pointed out that a murder of a union member has
occurred in a very difficult time for the popular movement, and union
movement in El Salvador, and that this must be taken into consideration
during the investigation. Right now in the country, there is increased
political repression and tension surrounding the 13 political prisoners that
are being charged with the new anti-terrorism laws. These political
prisoners were arrested on June 2nd for protesting against the governments
plans to privatize the water in Suchitoto. As well, in the last three years,
various murders of political leaders and union leaders have occurred with
complete impunity. One of these cases is the murder of Salvadorian-American
union leader Gilberto Soto, along with other religious and left leaders in
El Salvador. Says fellow union member Roxana Deras, ‘ We will not ignore any
motive, but as well, we can’t be sure of a concrete cause of this crime yet.
The most important thing is that we do not let impunity thrive and make sure
this is investigated thoroughly.’ 

Though these statements are sensible, it does not allow for the very serious
threat this sends to social and union organizations. ‘This reminds of 1978,
when the skillful and sinister assassinations of union leaders started’
mentioned Miguel’s co-worker. The union community maintains that they will
not hurry to any conclusions, but they are not ruling out conducting a
simultaneous independent investigation, given that police investigations
often turn up empty.

What is true is that El Salvador can’t seem to shake the serious social and
political crisis it is in. The country is at a height of crime, economic
crisis, and repression of social organizations, causing great worry both
inside and outside of the country. It is evidence of governmental crisis and
the exhaustion of the economic model which is incapable of offering
stability and wellbeing to the population. 

* * * *

 

 

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