Australia
The Acting Foreign Minister
The Hon. Craig Emerson
c/- Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
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Or email :
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Addresses for Guatemalan President and Ombudman
GUATEMALA
Head of State/Government: President Álvaro Colom Caballeros
Foreign Minister: Roger Haroldo Rodas Melgar
2a Avenida 4-17
Zona 10 Ciudad de Guatemala 01010
Guatemala
Ph. + 502 348-0000
Email: webmaster@minex.gob.gt
Website: http://www.minex.gob.gt/
Ombudsman of Guatamala
http://www.pdh.org.gt/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=2
click on this link and copy and paste into an online form..
Letter to the Acting Foreign Minister re: Guatemalan Elections
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The Acting Foreign Minister
The Hon. Craig Emerson
c/- Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Minister,
Re: the General Elections in
We wish to draw your attention to the General Elections in
We have considerable concerns following reports from Guatemalan citizens as well as Australian citizens who were refugees from that country of bribery, violence and intimidation marring the possibly of free and fair elections.
There are already widespread reports that opposition candidates and members have been assassinated and that large scale vote buying is underway.
We know that the Australian Government would not interfere in the internal operations of another country. However, it could request the Guatemalan Government to take all the steps necessary to ensure that the September 11th elections are free and fair.
We appeal to you to do all you can to inform the Guatemalan Government of these concerns and to urge them to ensure that the elections are transparent, democratic and fair in accordance with the Guatemalan Constitution.
There is considerable disquiet internationally that the main presidential candidate, General Perez Molina, is a former army major implicated in the massacre of civilians during the civil war in
He is also implicated in the murder of a prominent Bishop Juan Gerardi whose work on human rights had gained him a significant reputation. There are further allegations he is connected with narco trafficking and that as President he would facilitate drug trafficking which could eventually reach into
Finally, on a more personal note, we express our hope that Kevin’s recovery from recent surgery is progressing well and that you will soon return to complete good health.
Yours sincerely
Letter to the Guatemalan President and Ombudsman
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His Excellency Alvaro Colom
President of the Republic of Guatemala
Guatemala
Re: General Elections September 11
Dear Mr President,
We are most concerned that the General Elections due to be held in
We have received reports of the assassination of candidates and members of opposition parties in various parts in recent weeks in your country.
There is evidence that seems to incriminate the armed forces of your country which is of concern.
It is universally accepted that elections can only be recognised as democratic and genuine if they reflect the wishes of the majority of the people of a country.
Your Government’s role must, of course, be to ensure that the September 11th general elections are carried out properly and are free from violence, intimidation and bribery.
We do not underestimate the complexity and depth of the many problems confronting
The international reputation of
We would strongly suggest that one way to ensure a proper and democratic election would be to invite the United Nations to send international observers.
We have asked the Australian Government to pay attention to the electoral process. We are also contacting Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch with a request that they also closely observe the general election.
Finally, we will be watching with interest for reports on how the election is being conducted. Any mal practice by the army, your government or other forces will be observed by many people from around the world.
We express our hope that your Government will take all the steps necessary to ensure that the September 11th general elections are free and fair.
Yours sincerely,
Cc: Dr Sergio Fernando Morales
Guatemalan Ombudsman
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Su Excelencia Álvaro Colom
Presidente de la República de Guatemala
Vía Representación diplomática de Guatemala en Sydney
Nueva Gales del Sur, Australia.
Re: Elecciones Generales 11 de septiembre
Estimado Sr. Presidente,
Nos preocupa que las elecciones generales a celebrarse en Guatemala el 11 de septiembre de este año debe ser un proceso justo, transparente y sin violencia o intimidación.
Hemos recibido informes de asesinatos de candidatos y miembros de partidos de la oposición en varias partes de su país en las últimas semanas.
Existe evidencia que parece incriminar a las fuerzas armadas de su país, que es motivo de mucha preocupación.
Es universalmente aceptado que las elecciones sólo pueden ser reconocidas como un proceso democrático y genuino cuando responden a la voluntad de las grandes mayorías de un país.
El papel que su Gobierno debe jugar, por supuesto, es asegurar que el 11 de septiembre las elecciones generales se realicen correctamente y estén libres de violencia, intimidación y soborno.
No subestimamos la complejidad y profundidad de los muchos problemas que enfrenta Guatemala en este momento. Sin embargo, una elección violenta e injusta no puede y no va a contribuir a la solución de ninguno de estos problemas.
La reputación internacional de Guatemala estará en exhibición el 11 de septiembre y podría verse seriamente afectada por la violencia o cualquier interferencia en el proceso electoral.
Le sugeriríamos que una forma de garantizar una elección adecuada y democrática sería invitar a las Naciones Unidas a enviar observadores internacionales.
Hemos pedido al Gobierno australiano que preste atención al proceso electoral. También estamos en contacto con Amnistía Internacional y Human Rights Watch con una petición para que también observen de cerca las elecciones generales.
Por último, vamos a estar observando con interés los informes sobre la forma en que se lleva a cabo la elección. Cualquier práctica anormal por parte del ejército, el gobierno u otras fuerzas será observada por muchas personas de todo el mundo.
Expresamos nuestra esperanza de que su Gobierno tomará todas las medidas necesarias para asegurarse de que el 11 de septiembre las elecciones generales serán libres y justas.
Le saluda atentamente,
Cc: Dr. Sergio Fernando Morales
Defensor del Pueblo de Guatemala
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Allegations against the front runner in the Guatemalan elections
NO MORE ‘POLITICS & BUSINESS AS USUAL’ WITH WAR CRIMINALS IN
Guatemalan Presidential candidate, General Otto Perez Molina, is charged with torture, genocide and other war crimes
unfortunately the deadline to sign on for this letter etc has passed but the information is very valuable, so please read and tell your friends about it.
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS FILE GENOCIDE & TORTURE COMPLAINT
WITH U.N. SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR
AGAINST GUATEMALAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE GENERAL OTTO PEREZ MOLINA
On July 6, 2011, three human rights defenders presented a formal report of torture, or “Allegation Letter”, to Professor Juan Mendez, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture.
The letter alleges that General Otto Pérez Molina, now a leading presidential candidate in
The report is accompanied by 1982 film footage (http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DIEN9OBmLdcE) showing the then-Major Pérez Molina being interviewed by journalist Allan Nairn in the Ixil triangle. The battered bodies of several prisoners lie nearby on the ground. Although Pérez Molina was using a different name, he is identifiable by his voice and features. He is also well remembered in the Ixil.
According to the 1999 UN Truth Commission report, “Memoria de Silencio”, the army carried out daily acts of torture, genocide and terror in the Ixil region, and razed between 70 and 90% of the villages there. Pérez Molina currently presents himself as a reformist and “peace candidate”.
Otto Perez Molina was also the National Director of military intelligence (D-2) on March 12, 1992, when Efrain Bámaca, a Mayan resistance leader, was captured alive and taken to the
Bámaca was severely tortured for more than 2 years: always in D-2 compounds, under orders of the D-2, and by D-2 specialists. He was also transported throughout the country by the D-2, and twice detained by a secret D-2 death squad based in the Capital at the notorious “La Isla”.
The Allegation Letter alleges that Pérez Molina was the key intellectual author of these and similar war crimes. U.S. declassified documents confirm that the D-2 systematically tortured all prisoners of war, then either executed them or forced them to collaborate. In 1993 the CIA reported 300 such prisoners. See attached memorandum regarding the Bámaca case.
The Allegation Letter requests an investigation into General Pérez Molina’s responsibility for such war crimes, and was presented by the following human rights defenders:
Annie Bird, Co-Director, Rights Action, annie@rightsaction.org
Jennifer K. Harbury, Human Rights Attorney, jharbury@gmail.com
Kelsey Alford-Jones, Director, Guatemala Human Rights Commission-USA, kajones@ghrc-usa.org
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July 6, 2011
ALLEGATION LETTER
Mr. Juan Mendez
Special Raporteur on Torture
c/o Office of the High Commission of Human Rights
United Nations office at
CH-1211
Re:
Dear Mr. Mendez,
We would like to begin this letter by thanking you for your many decades of crucial human rights work. We are writing today to express our growing concern about the torture record of General Otto Perez Molina of
However, there is very strong evidence that he was in a command position in the Ixil triangle in 1982, when acts of torture, terror and genocide were daily events in that region. Moreover, the evidence shows that he was the key intellectual author of the forced disappearance and long term torture of Efrain Bamaca Velasquez in the 1990s. He is implicated in a number of other serious war crimes as well.
For many years he was able to conceal his past through the use of false names, the destruction of records, and of course, intimidation. However, the evidence has slowly but surely come to light.
At this time, General Perez Molina claims to be a reformist and a leader for peace. He has completely silenced the press as well as his opponents in
Each of us has long been involved in human rights work in
We of course do not ask you to become involved in the electoral process in any way. We do however, ask that quite apart from the elections, and whatever their results, your offices investigate and help to break the long standing silence regarding Perez Molina’s substantial involvement in torture and genocide in Guatemala.
BACKGROUND:
As you know, the United Nations sponsored Truth Commission issued a very thorough report on the war crimes which had occurred in Guatemala during the more than 35 years of internal conflict. (Comisión de Esclarecimiento Historico de Guatemala, or CEHG, “Memoria de Silencio”)
Specifically, the Commission found that the government security forces were responsible for a campaign of genocide against
Most high level military leaders have managed to retain their impunity for the war crimes, as a result of their continuing use of violence and terror against all lawyers, witnesses, judges and prosecutors who attempt to bring them to justice.
EVIDENCE AGAINST GENERAL OTTO PEREZ MOLINA:
1. In 1982, Perez Molina held the rank of Major, and was in a command position in the Ixil triangle. As the Truth Commission documents, half of all the massacres occurred during this period and in this region.
Between 70 and 90% of the villages were razed. Acts of torture, murder and mutilation were daily events. The survivors in the region recognize and remember him only too well. Moreover, a documentary film from the year 1982 shows Allan Nairn interviewing him in that region in 1982. Nearby lay the terribly battered corpses of four prisoners. Although Perez Molina uses the false name of Tito Arias, he can be easily recognized both by his voice as well as his facial features.
Annie Bird, of Rights Action, sends you the attached video (http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DIEN9OBmLdcE) for your review. Ms. Bird is also very familiar with the survivor community in the Ixil area, as well the proceedings in the genocide case in
We note moreover that a recently disclosed
2. In 1992 Otto Perez Molina was the national director of the military intelligence division (known as G-2 locally and D-2 nationally), and was the intellectual author of the long term torture and eventual forced disappearance of prisoner of war Efrain Bamaca Velasquez, a Mayan URNG commander, also known as Comandante Everardo. His wife, Jennifer Harbury, is including an annotated explanation of the case, together with a memo specifying the evidence of his involvement.
Suffice it to repeat here that Mr. Bamaca was captured alive on March 12, 1992 and secretly submitted to a special intelligence program for the long term torture of high value prisoners. He survived for more than two years, was moved from base to base around the country, always in the hands of intelligence officers, was transported in intelligence helicopters, and was concealed in intelligence compounds. Intelligence “especialistas” carried out his torture. He was twice held in the capitol by the official intelligence death squad called the Comando, located in the notorious “La Isla”. All of the involved intelligence officials would have been acting under the supervision and orders of Otto Perez Molina. Moreover, General Perez Molina participated in the March 12, 1992 intelligence meeting at the
These facts had long been confirmed not only by eye witness accounts, military documents, and forensic reports, but also by declassified
(One CIA document reports a 1993 conversation with high level military officers, who confirmed that there were more than 300 such secret prisoners in custody, for example. Other
In 1994, moreover, the
3. As we also indicated, General Perez Molina is implicated in a number of other very serious human rights violations. Most of these we are not yet authorized to discuss, but we can connect you with appropriate intermediaries. We also direct your attention to the disturbing information presented by Francisco Goldman in his book “The Art of Political Murder”, chronicling the investigation of the assassination of Bishop Gerardi.
As you know, the Peace Accords ended the armed conflict but did not bring peace to
This resulted in the resignation of Carlos Castresana, Director of the CICIG, in the spring of 2010. After he disclosed the candidate’s close ties to networks of corruption and abuse, the recently appointed Attorney General was forced to resign.
Apparently in response, human heads appeared in strategic locations in the capitol, one on the doorstep of the Congress. Thanks to the sacrifices of Lic. Castresana, at the end of 2010, after almost six months of intense work by human rights organizations, Claudia Paz, a jurist recognized for her long struggle to reform the justice system in
The military then focused its attention on the courts and judges. In the beginning of 2010, the
In the Bamaca case two amparos were granted which directly contradicted the Corte IDH resolutions.
In the case of the Rio Negro massacre, the same court asked for reconsideration of the obediencia debida defense, despite the clear holdings of
Meanwhile, the magistrates of the Supreme Court are intent on complying with
However, all advances will be lost under a military administration which will doubtless move to swiftly change the Fiscal General. In short, the entire transition to the rule of law is in jeopardy.
Accordingly, we are asking your offices to carry out an investigation of the long term involvement of General Otto Perez Molina in torture throughout the war, including but not limited to the systematic use of torture in the Ixil triangle and other areas in the 1980s, as well as the systematic torture of all prisoners of war, especially as National Director of the intelligence division in 1992.
Once again, we will be happy to connect you to key witnesses, but have omitted their names here in order to protect them and their families.
Please let us know if we can offer your further information or documentation. We await your response, and thank you once again for your lifelong commitment to the defense of human rights.
Sincerely,
Annie Bird, Co- Director, Rights Action, annie@rightsaction.org
Jennifer K. Harbury, Human Rights Attorney, jharbury@gmail.com
Kelsey A. Jones, Director, Guatemala Human Rights Commission-USA, kajones@ghrc-usa.org
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PARTIAL LIST OF SIGNERS …
Rights Action [
Jennifer Harbury [
Joe Emersberger, Canadian Auto Workers Union [
Katherine Maich, UC-Berkeley, Member, UAW 2322 [
Phyllis Ponvert, Member Peace Brigades International,
Bill Howson, Amicus Foundation [
Blase Bonpane, Director, Office of the
Julie Webb-Pullman, Wellington Zapatista Support Group,
Oberlin, in Solidarity with
Greg Norman, GSP, http://guatemalasolidarityproject.org/ [
Will Lotter, DRCS,
Francisco Ramirez Cuellar, Presidente de SINTRAMINERCOL y de FUNTRAENERGETICA [
Organización Comite Hondureño Acción por la Paz (COHAPAZ) [
Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras, COPINH [
Aaron Pollack [
Pável Uranga, Mexicano en
Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña,
Otros Mundos, AC/Amigos de la Tierra [México]
Convergencia de Movimientos de los Pueblos de las Américas (COMPA) [Mexico]
Movimiento Mexicano de Afectados por las Represas (MAPDER) [Mexico]
Red Mexicana de Afetados por la Minería (REMA) [Mexico]
Esteban (Stephen)
Consejos Indigenas Nahuatl y Chorotegas [
Associação de Favelas de São Jose dos
Dra. Gabriela Sánchez Gutiérrez, Profesora, Instituto Mora, Cooperación Internacional y Desarrollo [México]
Ruben Solis, Southwest Workers Union [
Greg Grandin,
Maribel Rivas Vasconcelos [
Environmental Network for Central America [
PAPDA [Haïti]
CNA
Rosalba Piazza [
GALFISA. Grupo América
ZigZag Young Women’s Resource Centre Inc. [
Comite de los Pueblos Qeqchis, El Estor [
Dra. Coralia Gutiérrez Álvarez, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla [México]
Nora Lisset Leiva Narciso de Figueroa [???]
Asociacón Bufete Jurídico Popular de Rabinal [
Center for Alternative Mining Development Policy,
Kirstin Büttner [
Kathrin Zeiske [
Martín Edmundo Alvarado Lopez, Pacahaj, Cantel, Quetzaltenango [
Hondureños por la Democracia (Hondurans for Democracy), Washington DC [USA]
Clara Ferri [???]
Guillermo Almeyra, CLACSO, profesor universitario y periodista [Argentina]
René Reeves, Professor of History, Fitchburg State University, MA [USA]
Renate Rueb, Berlin [Germany]
Consejo de Mujeres Nahuat [Nicaragua]
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Guatemalan Action Page.
Guatemalan Action Page.
Welcome to members and supporters, the CPA is currently encouraging all to become involved in the situation in Guatemala as that country approaches its general election on Sept 11, 2011. The party is presently sending the URNG rep in Australia Ovidio Orelana around the country. Check the dates for your state.
Teach yourself some background on Guatemala
View these you tubes
This first documentary is important because Otto Perez Molina candidacy has the support of the army, the US and drug dealers to be the next president.
Follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzrZc4K5U9Q&feature=related
These others are optional
Watch part one first and then part five as the narration is in English language. Parts 2, 3, & 4 are in Spanish with some occasional English.
Here the link to part one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIa-dUHFTJo&feature=related
Here the link to part five: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5YLFvY6qRo&feature=related
Or read this material regarding allegations against the front runner in the presidential elections.
Action letters
Sign these letters and get them off asap to their targets
Instructions and addresses for the Guatemalan Letters
Please send the Presidential letter (in Spanish or English) to the President of Guatemala and a copy of the same letter to Guatemalan Ombudsman.
Then
Send the letter the Australian Government’s Acting Foreign Minister.
Thanks
Denis Doherty ( ring me on 0418 290 663 if you have queries or requests)
Letter to the President in English and Spanish – click here
Address click here or email click here
Send the same letter to the Ombudsman address here - click here
Letter to the acting Foreign Minister Craig Emerson. – click here
Address for Acting Foreign Minister Craig Emerson - click here
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