THREE HELD AFTER PROTESTS AGAINST
IMF FORCIBLY DISLODGED IN ECUADOR
On Monday July 10th a group of more
the than 50 people from campesino,
environmental and human rights
organisations peacefully occupied the
Vatican Embassy in Quito, Ecuador. With
this they protested against the social
effects of IMF imposed structural
Adjustment measures. The action was
supported by Accion Ecologica, the
Friends of the Earth Ecuador group.
The protesters were forcibly removed
from the Embassy and three leaders have
been detained. Friends of the Earth
requests the support of the
international media and public against
the detaining of the leaders of the
protest action.
IMF inspired structural adjustment
measures, including the privatisation
of the state Social Security system,
would leave 1,000,000 campesinos from
some of the poorest areas of the
country, to their fate. The protesters
had asked that the church mediate on
their behalf. However rather than
helping the poor and downtrodden, after
lecturing the campesino leaders on the
sanctity of private property, the order
was given by the Council of Bishops,
headed by Monsignor Antonio Arregui, to
forcibly dislodge the protesters.
Approximately 100 police broke down
the doors of the embassy and entered
from all sides. Of the ten who were
arrested, seven have now been released.
However, Jorge Loor, the president of
the Association of Affiliates of the
Campesino Social Security, Jorge
Trujillo, the President of the Social
Security Workers Union, and Julio
Flores, Director of the Popular
Coordinator of Quito were all detained
and have, as far as can be ascertained,
now been charged with invading private
property.
There is much confusion around the
legal validity of the police action and
the nature of the charges that may or
may not have been laid. The Vatican
Ambassador denied this morning that he
himself had given the order to
dislodge. On the other hand the
Ecuadorian Attorney General Marianna
Yepez, amongst others, has unofficially
confirmed that the Council of Bishops
was responsible for the actions. While
as the embassy falls under the
jurisdiction of international law the
Ecuadorian state or its representatives
can not on the own initiative take
action. However, no one in the church,
or state, has taken responsibility for
dislodging the campesinos or for
pressing charges. No written order has
appeared.
Meanwhile the whereabouts of the
three political detainees, who are
without legal representation, is
unknown and family members have been
denied the opportunity to visit or
speak with them.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION:
Aurora Donoso
President Accion Ecologica
Tel/fax 00 593-2-547-516/527-583
Cesar Cabrrera President
National Campesino Coordinating
Committee
Tel/fax 00 593-2-580-169
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