The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT
intervention in the following situation in Guatemala.
Brief description of the situation
The National Coordination for Indigenous and Peasant Affairs in
Guatemala (CONIC) expressed to the CODEHUCA, a member of the network,
its concern over the following events which occurred in the community
of Rubel Hu, El Estor, Izabal. On April 10th of this year at 7 o'clock
in the evening, 15 armed men arrived at the community in order to
massacre its members. The residents had to flee for their lives since
the armed men shouted that they had orders from the landholder Adrian
Ponce Cruz to evict them from the land, as had been done in the
community of El Sauce. Adrian Ponce Cruz is the brother of another
landholder, Luis Ponce, who is accused of being responsible for the
brutal evicton of the community of El Sauce in Izabal and of the
murder of Rosa Peo Chub on January 24th 1997.
Action requested :
Please write to the Guatemalan authorities urging them to:
i. carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into the
complaints of violation of human rights in order to bring those
responsible before a competent civilian court and apply to them the
penal, civil and /or administrative sanctions provided by law;
ii. put an end to the violence and other grave violations committed
against indigenous populations and peasant communities;
iii. guarantee the full respect of human rights and fundamental
liberties throughout the country in accordance with national laws and
international standards.
Addresses :
S.E. Alvaro Arzu Irigoyen, Presidente de la Republica de Guatemala,
Palacio Nacional, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax : + 502 221 4537
Excmo. Sr. Rodolfo Mendoza, Ministro de Gobernacion, Ministerio de
Gobernacion, Palacio Nacional, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax : + 502 251
5368
Lic. Jorge Garc?a Laguardia, Procurador de Derechos Humanos, 12
Avenida 12-72, Zona 1, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax : + 502 238 1734
Lic. Hector Hugo Perez Aguilar, Fiscal General de la Nacion,
Ministerio Publico, 18 Calle 10-36 Zona 1, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax :
+ 502 331 7066
Gral. Julio Arnoldo Balconi Turcios, Ministro de Defensa, Ministerio
de Defensa, Palacio Nacional, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax : + 502 360
9909
Geneva, 23rd April 1997.
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code number of
this appeal in your reply.