Hi All,
Two Guatemalan conservationists were apparently murdered in the line of duty
trying to protect Guatemalan natural areas in late February. This casts a
pall over the conversations on Tweeters that Eugene Kridler has initiated
about whether we should be politically active. How lucky we are here in the
USA that we when we debate this in our own lives we don't have to factor in
the liklihood of our own assassination.
I'm including the post Carolee put on the shade coffee chatline in case anyone
wants to request justice of the appropriate authorities:


> >
> >>From: <megan at guate.net>
> >>
> >>Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 6:13:17 F00
> >
> >>*****Below you will find a description of the murder of two
> >conservationists employed by the Government of Guatemala's National
> >Park
> >Service, who died trying to enforce Guatemala's environmental laws.
> >(Version en espanol, tambien).
> >>
> >>Please take the time to send your faxes (english or spanish, hand
> >written
> >or typed!) to the numbers below. They will make a difference!!!!
> >>
> >>The Government of Guatemala needs to know that the international
> >environmental community is watching, and that such impunity will not
> >go
> >unnoticed.

> >>> URGENT CALL TO ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AROUND THE GLOBE, FOR SOLIDARITY
> >>>
> >>> In response to the vile and cowardly assasination of two brave
> >>> conservationists, Erwin Aroldo Ochoa Lopez and Julio Armando
> >Vasquez
> >>> Ramirez, which occurred this Tuesday, February 29th, in Puerto
> >Barrios,
> >>> Guatemala, the environmental community of Guatemala requests your
> >>immediate
> >>> support in:
> >>>
> >>> - expressing your condemnation for the assasination of two
> >exceptional
> >>> conservationists who risked their lives for the collective good,
> >trying to
> >>> save Guatemala's natural resources;
> >>>
> >>> - demanding an investigation by the Guatemalan authorities and
> >that the
> >>> guilty parties be brought to justice, such that the actions do not
> >go
> >>> unpunished;
> >>>
> >>> - insisting that the Guatemalan government follow through on its
> >campaign
> >>> promise to guarantee the personal security of citizens. These
> >bloody
> >>> incidents of violence and intolerance should not be repeated in
> >this
> >>> country, which considers itself a democracy.
> >>>
> >>> Both of these conservation colleagues worked for the National
> >Protected
> >>> Areas Council (CONAP), which is similar to a National Park
> >Service. Erwin
> >>> Ochoa was the Legal Advisor to CONAP, and was in charge of
> >investigating
> >>> more than 40 cases of environmental crimes perpetrated against
> >protected
> >>> areas and natural resources in the Atlantic Zone of Guatemala.
> > Julio
> >>> Vasquez was the Administrative Assistant for CONAP in this region.
> >>>
> >>> During its recent electoral campaign, the new Guatemalan
> >administration
> >>> promised to provide safety for Guatemalan citizens. The
> >administration
> >>> should keep this promise, by showing that it is acting against
> >crime,
> >>> violence and impunity. Nevertheless, these bloody events show
> >that
> >>pressure
> >>> on the country's natural and cultural resources is increasing, and
> >those
> >>who
> >>> take action to defend these resources find themselves more and
> >more
> >>> vulnerable to threats and attacks by looters.
> >>>
> >>> Guatemalan society strongly condemns the murder of these two young
> >people
> >>> who fought for a better world for future generations.
> >>>
> >>> PLEASE help us to express to the Guatemalan government the
> >international
> >>> community's condemnation of these horrendous acts and demand that
> >they not
> >>> go unpunished!!
> >>>
> >>> Please send faxes to the following people:
> >>>
> >>> Lic. Alfonso Portillo
> >>> President of the Republic of Guatemala
> >>> Tel/Fax: (502) 221-4419
> >>>
> >>> Lic. Adolfo Gonzalez Rodas
> >>> Attorney General of the Republic of Guatemala
> >>> Fax: (502) 221-2718
> >>>
> >>> Lic. Guillermo Ruiz Wong
> >>> Minister of the Interior, Republic of Guatemala
> >>> Fax: 362-0239
> >>>
> >>> General Efrain Rios Montt
> >>> President, Guatemalan National Congress
> >>> Tel/Fax: 232-1260 to 69, x504
> >>>
> >>> Ms. Patricia Quinto
> >>> Governor, Department of Izabal
> >>> Tel/Fax 948-7666
Thanks for everyone's forbearance on this long and depressing post. The areas
these men were defending no doubt hold birds that will be singing in the U.S.
soon.
Tweeter by digest, Ed Newbold Beacon Hill Seattle
newboldwildlife at netscape.net




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