Your Action is Needed!

[This document was prepared by U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities & modified / updated by SOA Watch/NE]

Your actions are critical to ensure that the thirteen are cleared of all charges and that Salvadorans can express themselves without fear of persecution.

We suggest you:

• 1.)  Contact the President of El Salvador Antonio Saca and US Ambassador Charles Glazer, and tell them:
  
  • a.)  To stop the trials currently in the Special Tribunal on Acts of Terrorism
  • b.)  To repeal the Anti-Terrorism Law and laws punishing public disorder
  • c.)  That you do not want your taxpayer dollars to support civil liberties abuses
  
  
• 2.)  Contact your Congressional Representative, and ask them to:
  
  • a.)  Do what they can to support hearings about taxpayer subsidy of civil liberties violations in El Salvador

Below you will find:

• Contact information; draft letters to President Saca, Glazer, and your Congressperson.

Many Thanks for Your Solidarity!

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1. Contact Salvadoran President Antonio Saca  (see sample letters below)

You can send him a message through two channels:

> Saca's Office in El Salvador:

Secretaria de Comunicaciones, Presidencia de la Republica, Gobierno de El Salvador Telephone: 011-503-2248-9000
Fax: 011-503-2243-7857 or 011-503-2243-9930

> Through the El Salvador Embassy to the United States in Washington, DC

C/o Hon. Rene Antonio León Rodríguez,  
Ambassador to the United States,
Embassy of El Salvador, Washington, DC
Telephone: (202) 265-9671, (202) 265-9672 / Fax:(202) 232-3763
E-Mail: correo@elsalvador.org

2. Contact US Ambassador to El Salvador, Charles Glazer

Embassy of the United States in El Salvador
Email: GlazerCL@state.gov
Phone: 011-503-2501-2999 x2003

3. Contact Your Congressperson

To find your congressperson's contact info visit: http://www.house.gov/
Congressional switchboard: (202) 224-3121

Additionally, it would be great to also call the El Salvador desk at the US State Department and express the same points you've shared with Ambassador Glazer and your congressperson. You can ask for Jeremy Cornforth at the State Department El Salvador Desk at 202-647-3505.

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1.  Sample letter to President Antonio Saca 

September  xx, 2007

President Antonio Saca
Presidente de la Republica de El Salvador
El Salvador, Centroamerica

Dear President Saca:

 I'm writing to express my continuing concern about the case of the 13 protestors arrested in Suchitoto on July 2^nd and subsequently charged as terrorists.

As you know, on July 2, 2007, the National Civilian Police (PNC) and National Riot Police (UMO) violently repressed a peaceful protest against water privatization in Suchitoto, El Salvador.  Four members of the social organization CRIPDES (Association for the Development of El Salvador) were arrested when their truck was stopped by police forces before they ever arrived at the protest site.  Over the course of the day, police arrested 10 more community members and injured dozens more with beatings, rubber bullets, and tear gas.

The 14 community members were charged with Acts of Terrorism under El Salvador's Decree #108, "Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism", and were tried Saturday, July 7 in a Special Tribunal, outside of the regular court system.  Judge Ana Lucila Fuentes de Paz dismissed the charges for one detainee, and decreed "preventative detention" for 3 months for the other 13, maintaining the terrorism charges and allowing the prosecutors to collect more evidence.  Following an appeals process, the accused were released from preventative detention, but terrorism charges stand against all 13. 

People around the world are very concerned about these developments and the threat they represent to democracy and human rights in El Salvador.  These steps taken under your leadership represent violations of The Constitution of the Republic of El Salvador, The 1992 Salvadoran Peace Agreements and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  They also represent a violation of the terms for "Ruling Justly" of the  $461 million in development funds allocated to El Salvador by the United States for 2007 through 2011 through the Millennium Challenge Account.

In response to this case and the general decline of protection of human rights in El Salvador, dozens of US Congresspersons have contacted your office, expressing their commitment to the right to nonviolent protest and dissent in general and calling for a just resolution in the case of the thirteen accused following the events in Suchitoto. Unfortunately, since this communication, your government's response has only been one of continuing steps to criminalize protest, including the introduction of new legislation of proposed reforms to significantly lengthen jail times for those accused of "public disorder."

I ask you to immediately take several steps to restore confidence in your government's commitment to democracy and human rights:

1-      Immediately drop all charges against the Suchitoto 13, close the case against them and initiate an investigation into the violent conduct of the military and police on July 2^nd.

2-      Introduce Legislation to Repeal decree #108, the "Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism".

3-      Introduce Legislation to repeal the laws passed in August 2007 that increase jail time against those convicted of "public disorder."

In closing, I want you to know that I will continue to monitor the situation of human rights in El Salvador and in particular the case of the Suchitoto 13.   I will also be communicating my concern to the US State Department and to my congressional representative.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

[Please write your name and address]

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2.  Sample letter to Ambassador Charles Glazer

September  xx, 2007

Ambassador Charles Glazer
Embassy of the United State to  El Salvador
El Salvador, Centroamerica

 Dear Ambassador Glazer:

 I'm writing to express my continuing concern about the case of the 13 protestors arrested in Suchitoto on July 2^nd and subsequently charged as terrorists.

As you know, on July 2, 2007, the National Civilian Police (PNC) and National Riot Police (UMO) violently repressed a peaceful protest against water privatization in Suchitoto, El Salvador.  Four members of the social organization CRIPDES (Association for the Development of El Salvador) were arrested when their truck was stopped by police forces before they ever arrived at the protest site.  Over the course of the day, police arrested 10 more community members and injured dozens more with beatings, rubber bullets, and tear gas.

The 14 community members were charged with Acts of Terrorism under El Salvador's Decree #108, "Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism", and were tried Saturday, July 7 in a Special Tribunal, outside of the regular court system.  Judge Ana Lucila Fuentes de Paz dismissed the charges for one detainee, and decreed "preventative detention" for 3 months for the other 13, maintaining the terrorism charges and allowing the prosecutors to collect more evidence.  Following an appeals process, the accused were released from preventative detention, but terrorism charges stand against all 13. 

People around the world are very concerned about these developments and the threat they represent to democracy and human rights in El Salvador.  These steps taken by the Government of Antonio Saca represent violations of The Constitution of the Republic of El Salvador, The 1992 Salvadoran Peace Agreements and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  They also represent a violation of the terms for "Ruling Justly" of the  $461 million in development funds allocated to El Salvador by the United States for 2007 through 2011 through the Millennium Challenge Account.

In response to this case and the general decline of protection of human rights in El Salvador, dozens of US Congresspersons have contacted President Saca, expressing their commitment to the right to nonviolent protest and dissent in general and calling for a just resolution in the case of the thirteen accused following the events in Suchitoto. Unfortunately, since this communication, President Saca's government's response has only been one of continuing steps to criminalize protest, including the introduction of new legislation of proposed reforms to significantly lengthen jail times for those accused of "public disorder."

I ask you to immediately communicate with President Saca and suggest several steps to restore confidence in his government's commitment to democracy and human rights:

a-      Immediately drop all charges against the Suchitoto 13, close the case against them and initiate an investigation into the violent conduct of the military and police on July 2^nd.

b-      Introduce Legislation to Repeal decree #108, the "Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism".

c-      Introduce Legislation to repeal the laws passed in August 2007 that increase jail time against those convicted of "public disorder."

In closing, I want you to know that I will continue to monitor the situation of human rights in El Salvador and in particular the case of the Suchitoto 13.   I will also be communicating my concern to my congressional representative.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Your name and address

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3.  Sample Letter to Your Congressional Rep 

September xx, 2007

Congressperson......
United States Congress
Washington, DC

Dear Congressman/woman:

I'm writing to express my continuing concern about the case of 13 protestors arrested in Suchitoto, El Salvador on July 2^nd and subsequently charged as terrorists.

On July 2, 2007, the Salvadoran National Civilian Police and National Riot Police violently repressed a peaceful protest against water privatization in Suchitoto, El Salvador.  Four members of the social organization CRIPDES (Association for the Development of El Salvador) were arrested when their truck was stopped by police forces before they ever arrived at the protest site.  Over the course of the day, police arrested ten more community members and injured dozens more with beatings, rubber bullets, and tear gas.

The community members were charged with Acts of Terrorism under El Salvador's Decree #108, "Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism", and were tried Saturday, July 7 in a Special Tribunal, outside of the regular court system.  Judge Ana Lucila Fuentes de Paz dismissed the charges for one detainee, and decreed "preventative detention" for 3 months for the other 13, maintaining the terrorism charges and allowing the prosecutors to collect more evidence.  Following an appeals process, the accused were released from preventative detention, but terrorism charges stand against all 13. 

People around the world are very concerned about these developments and the threat they represent to democracy and human rights in El Salvador.  These steps taken by the Government of Antonio Saca represent violations of The Constitution of the Republic of El Salvador, The 1992 Salvadoran Peace Agreements and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  They also represent a violation of the terms for "Ruling Justly" of the  $461 million in development funds allocated to El Salvador by the United States for 2007 through 2011 through the Millennium Challenge Account.

In response to this case and the general decline of protection of human rights in El Salvador, dozens of US Congresspersons have contacted President Saca, expressing their commitment to the right to nonviolent protest and dissent in general and calling for a just resolution in the case of the thirteen accused following the events in Suchitoto. Unfortunately, since this communication, President Saca's government's response has only been one of continuing steps to criminalize protest, including the introduction of new legislation of proposed reforms to significantly lengthen jail times for those accused of "public disorder."

I ask you to immediately communicate with US Ambassador in El Salvador Charles Glazer and suggest he communicate several steps to President Antonio Saca to restore confidence in his government's commitment to democracy and human rights:

a-      Immediately drop all charges against the Suchitoto 13, close the case against them and initiate an investigation into the violent conduct of the military and police on July 2^nd.

b-      Introduce Legislation to Repeal decree #108, the "Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism".

c-      Introduce Legislation to repeal the laws passed in August 2007 that increase jail time against those convicted of "public disorder."

Furthermore, I ask you to consider working with your congressional colleagues to initiate hearings to review if the deteriorating human rights situation in El Salvador represents a violation of the requirements mandated in the Millennium Challenge Account.

In closing, I want you to know that I will continue to monitor the situation of human rights in El Salvador and in particular the case of the Suchitoto 13.   I look forward to hearing from your office about steps you are taking to help ensure the US government is doing everything possible to encourage democracy and freedom of expression in El Salvador.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

[Please write your name and address] 

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