News Round-up

Here goes:

Latin American region
No military coup deserves a parade (Bloggings by boz)
A statement taken for granted on this blog but still worth repeating!

Argentina
Falkland tensions grow ahead of invasion anniversary (BBC)
This article touches on the complications of remembering both the Falklands/Malvinas war and the military dictatorship in Argentina.
Plus, in astonishing news:
Argentinian critics pan Margaret Thatcher biopic The Iron Lady (Guardian)

Chile
Chilean journalist charged with covering up human rights abuses in 1975 (Journalism in the Americas)

Guatemala
How will Montt defend himself in Guatemala? (Al-Jazeera)
By Mike from Central American Politics
Genocide Trial against Ríos Montt: Declassified Documents Provide Key Evidence (Unredacted)
Ríos Montt’s Incriminating Self-Defense (Latin American Thought)
A Testament From Guatemala’s War Years (Lens blog at NY Times)
With excellent photos by Jean-Marie Simon

Mexico
'In Mexico, reporters are hunted like rabbits' (Guardian)
This one is in here because the past issues I deal with on this blog are not gone, they keep happening in various countries - that's one (just one) of the reasons we need to remember them.

Peru
Shining Path affiliate drops bid to become party (AP)
Movadef Ends Attempt To Register As Political Party (Peruvian Times)

Argentina: Witness disappears, reappears

Last week, an important witness in an ongoing trial was kidnapped in Argentina. Víctor Martínez was a witness to the death of Bishop Carlos Horacio Ponce de León in a supposed car accident in 1977. Martínez disappeared on Monday and was found on Wednesday in a confused state, having apparently been drugged. According to his lawyer,

"He was taken by people we don't know. From what he was able to tell his wife, he was kept in a room. They didn't use force on him. He was told what to say. They gave him drugs, anti-anxiety pills, to keep him semiconscious."

This case is obviously concerning; I think there can be little doubt that Martínez was taken both as an attempt to disrupt this specific case and also as a threat to other witnesses, but it is heartening to see that the government acted swiftly, demanding his release and ordering security forces to search for him. This may have provoked his release. In another notorious case of recent years, the victim has not been so fortunate.

Argentine witness to bishop's killing freed by kidnappers (NY Times)
Argentine Dirty War witness kidnapped and released (NY Times)

Uruguay: Threats against judges in human rights cases

A video in which apparent members of the military threaten judges and prosecutors who conduct investigations into crimes against humanity during the last military dictatorship (1973-1985) has caused alarm in Uruguay, writes Mexican daily El Universal. The tape was revealed on Wednesday by weekly Búsqueda. It shows three men in combat uniform, with their faces covered in balaclavas, who announce the start of "military operations in the whole country" to "secure the freedom of the political prisoners", as they call the members of the military accused of torture, forced disappearance, and other crimes. Defence minister Luis Rosadilla confirmed the existence of the video and said that it was the job of the police to investigate.

Video consterna a Uruguay (Universal)
Rechazo general por un video con amenazas de supuestos militares (El Pais, Uruguay)

Colombia: Relatives of 'False Positives' Speak Out

From the excellent magazine Cambio, which, sadly is apparently soon to lose its current investigative format, comes a video clip focusing on the female relatives of men killed in Colombia's conflict. The victims were so-called 'false positives' - young men dressed up to look like guerrillas and murdered to boost the 'success rate' of the armed forces' counterinsurgency drive. It's Spanish only but I have attempted to provide a transcript below - it's not perfect and you can see that I had difficulties understanding one of the interviewees in particular, so if you speak Spanish, watch the original, but English-only readers should be able to get a rough guide.



Jaqueline Castillo: My name is Jaqueline Castillo, I'm the sister of Jaime Castillo, who was disappeared on 12 August 2008.

Ana Paez: I'm the mum of Eduardo Garzon Paez, disappeared 4 March 2008.

Ana Cecilia Arenas: My name is Cecilia Arenas, I'm the sister of Mario Alexander Arenas, disappeared 2 January 2008.

Screen text: Stories of families of three of the 16 young people disappeared in Soacha and then presented by the Army as fallen combatants.
False positives
WE DON'T BELIEVE IN JUSTICE

ACA: On this journey, this year, it's two years already, during which we haven't had any type of support, whether financial or regarding justice. Personally, I've realised that the public prosecutors [fiscales] aren't doing anything for us. I'm a bit pessimistic in this case.

JC: Really, the idea of justice in Colombia makes one nostalgic. There is evidence, there is strong evidence, which shows that the army really did kill all those people, and the fact that this isn't enough to get convictions, it's very sad.

AP: We're really tired of them taking us, bringing us, using us and in reality, we are exactly where we were on the first day [...] Why? Because we don't have any answers. We don't have protection, we don't have anything.

Screen text: WE ARE THREATENED.

[..] I don't think it's fair that the police can say to us, "Come here, come here, now, or for three days" and what for? [...] When I get there, they say, don't come now. I don't accept protection from them.

ACA: We have been threatened. We feel threatened, we can't have a quiet life thinking that if we go out, we are frightened, thinking that they are planning something, we don't know if someone might be following us. We're often even frightened to use the phone, because we know that phones can be bugged, so we can't even talk on the phone in privacy.

AP: [...]
Screen text: WE ARE GOING TO THE INTERNATIONAL COURTS

JC: Yes, our intention and that of most of the families is that there should not be impunity here and we will go to the international court if necessary. We have asked the court to take action in this case.

AP: We are going to ask them to help us abroad. Because I don't believe in it here - there's nothing here. When are they going to help us here? There's nothing, nothing. We want the truth. We want the names of those who did it to appear in the media, in the newspapers. This is what I want.

ACA: We are waiting for an answer from the International Criminal Court, because here, I don't believe they are going to take care of us and the best thing we can do is go elsewhere. Go and look outside the country and see what we can do.

[Source]

News Round-Up

Argentina
Think forced disappearance is a thing of the past? Think again.
Where is Luciano Arruga? Disappeared in Argentina's Democracy (Latin America Activism)

Colombia
I am dismayed to hear of the demise of Cambio which was an indispensable source for Colombia news and reports of political pressure on the publication make it even worse
Magazine Closure Deals Major Blow to Investigate Reporting (IPS)

Peru
The bodies of 5 disappeared persons will be given a proper burial next week in Abancay
Programme of activities (in PDF) and background information, with some haunting photos
Caso Chaupiorcco (APRODEH)

Peru: More Violence at Majaz

The latest in a series of violent incidents at the Majaz/Rio Blanco mining camp owned by Zijin (formerly Monterrico Metals) continues, and this one seems to be shaping up into a battle of conflicting versions by the police on the one hand, and witnesses and human rights organisations on the other.

"We were trying to arrest those responsible for what happened in November* ... and we were attacked by bullets and rocks while trying to catch one suspect. We responded in legitimate defense," General Walter Rivera told Reuters.

[...]

David Velazco, a lawyer for the victims, said police used excessive force. He said police were serving warrants for eight suspects in the November attack, but there were no warrants out for the arrest of the two peasants killed on Wednesday.

"The peasants didn't shoot anybody. They don't have arms, only arrows or maybe some rocks," he said.

Violence erupts again over Chinese mine in Peru (Reuters)

In the fighting, two peasants – identified as Castulo Correa Huayama, 39, and Vicente Romero Ramirez, 52 – died from police gunfire and six other townspeople were wounded, among them an 18-year-old man who was hit in the head by a bullet, CNR reported.

Two Dead in Clashes Between Police, Peasants in Peru (LAHT)

* See here.

Muertes en Majaz: la version policial seria falsa (CNDDHH)
Mas abusos por parte de miembros de la PNP en contra de campesinos de Huancabamba (CNDDHH)
Rechazan version policial sobre muerte de comuneros de Huancabamba (La Republica)

Peru: Developments at Rio Blanco

Blog readers and those interested in Peru news will recall that in January of this year, photographs emerged of torture inflicted on local people in 2005 by security forces at the mining camp of Majaz, now known as Rio Blanco. You can see a timeline here. The mining camp was at the time owned by Monterrico Metals and is now under the ownership of a Chinese company, Zijin Mining Group.

Peruvian prosecutors have been reluctant to follow up on the apparent perpetrators of these crimes; however, Monterrico Metals is facing legal action in Great Britain.

In the first few days of November, Rio Blanco made the news again when several people were killed there and the encampment set on fire by a group of around 15-20 people. Initial reports were of two dead, this later apparently rose to three. I didn't cover this at the time, but Otto did.

Most reports seem to assume that the attack was carried out by local people frustrated by years of having their wishes ignored and of the violence which has previously erupted at the site - except for the second Reuters report, which quotes someone, rather laughably, as saying that there is "no dispute" with the local community and points the finger at drug traffickers instead.

Two dead after attack on Peru project of Zijin (Reuters, 2.11.09)
Rio Blanco Copper mining camp attacked, two guards killed (Living in Peru, 2.11.09)
Monterrico Metals Peru Mine Attack Leaves Two Dead (Bloomberg, 2.11.09)
Peru mine killings work of drug trade: businessmen (Reuters, 3.11.09)

Human rights organisations are now concerned at state response to the latest attack. The National Human Rights Coordinator is claiming that two brothers from the local area, Filoteo and Gustavo Pusma Ibáñez, have been arbitrarily detained for the crime. Another pair of brothers, Hilario and Martín Rojas, have also been held - according to the CNDDHH, without proof of involvement. Moreover, the truck of the major of Carmen de la Frontera was attacked, allegedly by members of the group 'Integrando', which claims to be an 'NGO' and is in fact linked to the Rio Blanco mining company.

Apparently there is a heavy, and threatening, police presence in the area. The government is now also considering the possibility of establishing a military base nearby. Local groups are reacting with alarm to any suggestion of 'militarizing' the area, and understandably so. History teaches us that sending in the army to remote Peruvian communities tends not to end well. Any military presence would have to be handled very, very carefully indeed to avoid the risk of further escalation of tensions and human rights abuses against the local population, and I don't consider such sensitive treatment very likely.

Autoridades de Huancabamba emplazan al Gobierno formar comision investigadora sobre los sucesos ocurridos el 1 de noviembre en campamento de la minero Rio Blanco (CNDDHH)
Death at Dawn in a Peruvian mining camp (ENS)
Derechos y humanos: "La militarizacion del campamento minero Rio Blanco (CNDDHH)
Rechazan posible base militar (La Republica)

El Salvador: Clandestine Graves Are Back

"The people of this country suffered during the civil war and now, in peacetime, we are again seeing kidnapping, extortion, executions, disappearances, fear, and calls for curfews," Miguel Montenegro, head of the non-governmental Human Rights Commission of El Salvador (CDHES) which played a major role in denouncing detentions and forced disappearances during the armed conflict, told IPS.

"The question is, why, so many years after the end of the war in 1992, are situations that were common during the conflict happening again?" he asked.

El Salvador: Clandestine Graves Are Back (IPS)

Peru: Salomon Lerner Receives Death Threats

Shocking and disappointing news from Peru is that the former head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR) and currently vice-president of the Museum of Memory commission, Salomon Lerner Febres, has received telephone death threats at both his work and home addresses. Disgustingly, the cowards have also poisoned his two dogs, who both died.

This is another reminder of the challenges that human rights defenders face in many Latin American nations, not helped by governments in Peru and Colombia which tend to criticise HR organisations and apparently regard them as a threat.

The National Human Rights Coordinator (CNDDHH) has strongly condemned the intimidation. Let us hope that the government does the same in the strongest possible terms and provides suitable protection for Dr Lerner.

Ex presidente de la CVR Salomon Lerner denuncia amenaza de muerte (La Republica)

Argentina: Where is Julio Lopez?

It is now THREE YEARS since the disappearance of witness Julio Lopez in Argentina (cf my post from this day last year). Marches will be taking place in Buenos Aires today to mark the occasion. There is more to say, but I can't do that now, so I will try to update the media coverage afterwards and merely add: Aparicion con vida ya!

Colombia: 'False Positives' Convictions

A Colombian judge has sentenced 15 soldiers to up to 30 years in prison for killing civilians and presenting them as rebels.
[...]
Among those sentenced on Saturday were an officer, three subordinates and six ordinary soldiers who were found to have taken part in the killing of the two restaurant workers and were sentenced to 30 years. Five others were sentenced to four years in jail for covering up details about the case.

Judge Jails 15 Colombian Soldiers (BBC)

News Round-Up 29/07/2009

Leading Chilean Presidential Candidate Linked to Pinochet, Bank Fraud and the CIA (Impunity Watch)

Colombia: Killings of Indians Continued during UN Rapporteur's Visit (IPS)

Also, some interesting photos of a Colombian memory quilt can be seen here (h/t)

Peru News Round-Up

- NACLA has a report on the resurgence of the Shining Path and the worrying implications for Peru's indigenous citizens, who generally end up bearing the brunt of state counterinsurgency measures.

[Sendero expert Carlos] Tapia explained that rather than launching a military offensive, the government should address the social and economic needs of the poor areas where Sendero operates.

So easy to say and yet... when will we see this as a concrete policy?

Abuses in Peru's Escalating Fight against Rebels (NACLA)

- Sofia Macher, former commissioner in Peru's truth and reconciliation commission, who is currently heading the Consejo de Reparaciones (reparations board), is complaining that she has not received the promised budget. The shortfall is causing delays in pay outs.

Sofia Macher pide atencion de Estado en reparaciones (CNDDHH)

- The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, James Anaya, has submitted a report on the violence at Bagua. You can download both a summary and the full version in PDF (both in Spanish) from the CNDDHH website. I'd just like to highlight one point from the summary:

...various representatives of government indicated that the ongoing investigations would focus primarily, or even exclusively, on the possible crimes of the indigenous protesters and not on the possible irregularities committed by the police and other actors during the violent events. This is a worrying fact. [trans. mine]

Worrying indeed.

Relator de la ONU presento informe sobre sucesos de Bagua (CNDDHH)

Peru: Still Recruiting Underage Soldiers

A sixteen-year old soldier died in a training accident with a grenade last week, highlighting the fact that Peru is still putting legal minors in dangerous situations despite having promised that the practice would end. Under 18s are not permitted to join the army, but clearly in some instances there are insufficient checks, at the very least.

Peru's Army Continues Recruiting Minors (Living in Peru)

CNDDHH condena muerte de soldado menor de edad (CNDDHH)

Peru: Residents of Majaz Living in Fear

According to testimonies compiled by the Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDDHH), indigenous citizens living in the village of Segunda y Cajas are still experiencing reprisals for their denunciations of torture at the mining site of Majaz.

One villager, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that they had to use "hidden paths" for fear of being attacked.

A woman named María Ozeta was attacked with a machete in early June by a person linked to a supposed NGO known as "Asociación Integrando", which, according to the CNDDHH, dedicates itself to "intimidating the population and imposing the activities of the Majaz mining company".

In the past month, representatives of the CNDDHH itself, another NGO, and three of the victims of the original torture have all experienced threats.

This may all sound rather conspiracy-theoryish, but the Coordinadora is well-respected and not given to hyperbole; the news is deeply concerning and indicative of corruption and lack of protection from the law in the area. There was a big scandal when the images of torture came out, but that has now passed. The fact is, however, that the victims have to carry on living in the area where their attackers have gone unpunished. Let's not forget Majaz.

Continua la violencia en Majaz (CNDDHH)
- includes images of injured people, scans of a medical certificate and police report

News Round-Up 18/07/2009

Central America: Shades of Coups Past - And Yet to Come? (IPS)

Journalist Death Threat Stirs Chile (Prensa Latina)

Inquiry on 1994 Blast at Argentina Jewish Center Gets New Life (NYT)

Peru: What happened at Devil's Bend?

Survival International's video report (English) on events at Bagua:

Peru: No Disappeared in Bagua?

The Peruvian ombudsman (Defensoria del Pueblo) has concluded that there are no indigenous disappeared in the region of Bagua following last month's violence.

You can read the full report on events here (PDF, large file, Spanish language) or check out the briefer press release from this page (PDF, 120/09/OCII/DP), which gives the official figures as 33 dead, 200 injured, and 83 detained of whom 18 remain in detention. Also Peruvian blogs on the subject, pointing out that the figures are based on interviews and not a comprehensive survey of the area, thus cannot be regarded as conclusive.

No Amazonian Indigenous Disappeared in Bagua, Peru Ombudsman's Report Says (Living in Peru)

No hay mas desparecidos tras hechos de violencia en la selva peruana (El Comercio)

I can't comment on the figures with any accuracy, but the numbers of dead civilians is said to be ten, which seems very low (the other 23 in the figure of 33 were police officers), and thus I would conclude that the possibility of disappeared really cannot be ruled out, despite this report. As most of the links above are in Spanish, I would suggest that English speakers go and watch this five minute video on the Guardian website detailing a little of the background to the protests and including descriptions of torture and mentions of disappeared people.

'We are fighting for our lives and our dignity'

"For thousands of years, we've run the Amazon forests," said Servando Puerta, one of the protest leaders. "This is genocide. They're killing us for defending our lives, our sovereignty, human dignity."

John Vidal has an article on indigenous struggles in today's Guardian, using the recent violence in Peru as a starting-off point. I wouldn't say this piece is perfect (I'm a bit icky about the 'savage' connotations in the first paragraph for a start, although the point about the imbalance of power is correct), but I'll tell you why I do like it: it's calling attention to the issue in mainstream, English-language press; it draws parallels between conflicts between companies exploiting natural resources and indigenous residents in many different parts of the world; and it cites a variety of those indigenous activists themselves.

'We are fighting for our lives and our dignity' (Guardian)

Peru News

Here's a round-up of the Spanish-language news from Peru.

Human rights organisation APRODEH is claiming that there is at least 61 disappearances arising from the events of the past week at Bagua. According to lawyer Juan José Quispe, these people are not included in the official list of the dead or wounded. I'm sure publicising this is going to make APRODEH even more popular with the authorities - let's hope all their paperwork is in order.

Al menos 61 personas estan desaparecidos, informa APRODEH (La Republica)

The government has closed down a radio station, La Voz de la Selva, which was reporting on events at Bagua in a manner critical of the state. Both its director and Peru's journalists' association, have condemned the action as politically-motivated - which let's face it, it blatantly is, no matter what the official excuse is.

Gobierno cancela licencia a Radio La Voz de Bagua (La Republica)

Indigenous members of parliament have been suspended for protesting recent events in the Congress building.

Parliamentarios nacionalistas sancionados no ofreceran disculpas (La Republica)

Alan Garcia has claimed that the police officers involved in the violence in Bagua were victims of "genocide" (a genocide of the police - what on earth does that even mean?!) committed by those who want to hand over Peru to foreign governments. These are the words of a politician who sees a crisis as a good opportunity to seize more power.

Alan Garcia afirma que existio un "genocidio de policias" en Bagua (El Comercio)

*Update* - Also, I'd like to draw attention to this slide show from Caretas showing images of the dead police offers (warning: very strong content, particularly for those of us not used to media showing close-up images of dead bodies - despite the strange use of black boxes to censor some areas which have appearently been deemed unsuitable).

Finally, and on a slightly different topic, 8 Shining Path camps have apparently been destroyed by the armed forces.

Ocho campamentos de Sendero Luminoso fueron destruidos por fuerzas combinadas en el VRAE (El Comercio)