La Jornada January 15, 1996 pg. 12
US citizen cited to leave the schedule will ask for a review of his case
Another 20 foreigners have been pressured
AP, San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, January 14th
A US independent filmmaker who is in Chiapas was threatened with expulsion
from the country without the authorities explaining clearing the reasons
for these actions.
Kerry Appel, whose documentaries about the region have aired on public
television in the United States, said that he will try to take legal
action to extend his stay in Chiapas, site of a two-year-old indigenous
rebellion.
"I feel that my rights as a tourist have been violated", Appel said after
the local immigration official, Maura Bravo Hernandez, gave him seven days
to leave the country.
Bravo Hernandez refused to explain what Appel had done to justify his
expulsion. In addition he rejected the request of the filmmaker that he
be given a copy of the papers with the order, after he refused to sign
them. Appel stated that the documents accused him falsely of being
involved in illegal activities.
The filmmaker's lawyer, Miguel Angel de los Santos, stated that tomorrow
he will ask for a review of the case, which could suspend the expulsion
order until the process is completed.
Apparently, Bravo Hernandez threatened De los Santos during the meeting.
"You have also done illegal things as a lawyer", said Bravo, although he
didn't explain to the lawyer what the illegalities consisted of.
Appel filmed in the village of Altamirano, 67 kilometers to the east of
San Cristobal de las Casas, and tried to make contacts for two U.S.
philanthropists interested in establishing a foundation to help the
indigenous of Chiapas. "I am here in order to help connect people who
have money in the United States, and want to help, and people who need the
help, and this is not a violation of my visa as a tourist", emphasized the
filmmaker.
At least 20 other foreigners with tourist visas have left Chiapas in the
last few weeks after being submitted to pressures or after being in a
similar situation to that of Appel. Several of them have reported that
Maura Bravo Hernandez had forced them to sign documents that they did not
understand or whose contents they did not agree with, and that the
official also had demanded that they provide names of other foreigners and
Mexicans with whom they were associated.
The Immigration officials made a list of the participants in the recent
National Indigenous Forum, during which the rights of foreigners was
discussed, among other things. They were seen in local hotels reading the
registries in search of names of foreigners, said the Frey Bartolome de
las Casas Human Rights Center, associated with the Catholic church, in a
statement.
"This act is part of a series of hostile, intimidating and occasionally
threatening actions being made against visitors from various countries
who are trying to learn about ours", said the statement.
An official of the Secretary of Governance in the Federal District that
there is no official policy of expelling foreigners from Chiapas.
Meanwhile the US embassy said that the authorities in Washington are
investigating the matter.
(translated by Chris Ames, Center for Democracy, Liberty and Justice)