By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America 

 BOGOTA, Colombia – Former head of Colombia’s DAS security agency and retired military general Miguel Maza Marquez was arrested for the 1989 assassination of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galan.  The arrest comes days after Colombian prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for the 73-year-old Maza Marquez.  Maza Marquez is officially charged with murder for terrorist purposes and a crime against humanity.

Maza Marquez had beens arrested last December in connection with the assassination; however, he was released in April after the prosecution failed to meet the indictment deadline. Prosecutors began to revive the case in September.

Daniel Suarez, Maza Marquez’ attorney, told Caracol Radio that Maza Marquez “has no interest in evading justice” and would “immediately” turn himself in following the indictment.  Maza Marquez has steadfastly asserted his innocence.

The DAS domestic security agency that Maza Marquez was in charge of provides bodyguards for politicians, human rights activists and others, including Galan.  Prosecutors in the case claim that Maza Marquez made changes to Galan’s security detail mere hours before the candidate was killed at a campaign rally in the Bogota suburb of Soacha on August 18, 1989.

Former officials with the demobilized AUC paramilitary federation have said in sworn statements that Maza Marquez played a central role in Galan’s murder.  According to the prosecution, additional evidence “points to the participation of several state servants who, like the retired general, learned in advance of the attack being planned against the presidential candidate and, instead of averting it, aided in its commission.”

Galan’s presidential campaign was a crusade against Pablo Escobar and other drug lords who essentially controlled Colombia through violence, killing hundreds of judges, journalists and police in a bid to avoid extradition.  It is theorized that the assassination was carried out primarily due to instigation from politicians and drug kingpins.

Galan was the favorite to win the election and would have likely been elected President had it not been for his untimely death.

For more information, please see:

www.poliblogger.com – Arrest Warrant Issued for ex-DAS Chief in Galan Assassination – 27 November 2010

Latin American Herald Tribune – Colombia Charges Former Spy Chief in 1989 Assassination – 26 November 2010

Washington Post – Colombian ex-Police Chief Charged in Killing – 25 November 2010

By R. Renee Yaworsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil—After a week of combat between drug gangs and Brazilian security forces, over 45 people have been left dead.  Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva has lauded the operation as the beginning of the end for Rio’s notorious drug gangs, stating confidently:  “We will win this war.”

The military operation against the gangs took place in the favela (shantytown or slum) called Complexo do Alemao in Rio.  The favela had been a virtual stronghold for drug gangs, with little police presence for decades.  The mission culminated on Sunday when approximately 2,600 armed officers and paratroopers swarmed on the favela.  Armored vehicles and helicopters were in tow.

Officers seized weapons and drugs, especially marijuana and cocaine.  They also arrested over 40 suspected gang members, including important leaders.  Eliseu de Souza was one of these, found guilty of the 2002 torture and killing of journalist Tim Lopes.  Officers canvassed the favela’s 13 neighborhoods and tracked suspects into the sewers.

This week’s series of violent clashes are part of Brazil’s plan to make Rio safer for the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.  Yet many human rights defenders are critical, accusing the nation of being too tough in the approach.

“The police so far this week in operations in other communities have killed over 50 people, including in a tragic accident a 14-year-old girl,” Patrick Wilcken, a researcher with Amnesty International, said.  “And one has to remember that this community has a long history of these very militarized campaigns by the police, and in 2007 the police did a huge operation, stormed the community and shot dead 19 people, and then left.”

Many innocent residents of the favela were caught in crossfire during the police operations.  Health officials have reported that the age range of those wounded was from 2 to 81.

Jose Pereira, a 33-year-old bricklayer, took a bullet in the leg.  “They fight,” he said, “but we’re the ones who suffer, the residents.  How am I going to work now [with my injury]?  I have three children.  How are they going to eat?”

Complexo do Alemao has a population of about 65,000 who inhabit only 18,000 dwellings—mostly tin-roofed brick shacks.  Fifteen percent of these residents live without any access to proper sewage.  Since the violence began last week, electricity has been lost and many residents have lost the food they kept in their refrigerators.  When asked about the police’s capture of the favela, one mother said, “No, it’s not worth it.  Before, we lived our lives, [the gangs] lived theirs.”

Despite the problems that police operations have created in the favela, many are hopeful that the drug traffickers are on their way out and that a more peaceful time is to come.

“I hope this will be the rebirth of this community,” a grandmother expressed after the violence ceased.  “Things had to change.  We have to hope.”

For more information, please see:

BBC-Brazil’s Lula hails Rio police operation-29 November 2010

Washington Post-Rio slum dwellers caught in battle to pacify city-29 November 2010

Reuters-Analysis: Rio raids a critical step for Brazil’s economy-29 November 2010

By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile – Chilean Catholic Bishop and staunch human rights advocate Sergio Valech Aldunate recently passed away after battling lung cancer; he was 83 years old.  Aldunate was particularly outspoken against human rights violations during the 1973-1990 Pinochet dictatorship.

Aldunate was ordained in 1953 and named a bishop by Pope Paul VI in 1973.  Between 1987 and 1992, Aldunate headed the Chilean church’s Solidarity Vicariate, an institution created after Pinochet’s 1973 coup.  The purpose of the Solidarity Vicariate was to speak up for the victims of the military regime.

The vicariate was eventually  abolished in 1992;however, Aldunate then established and headed a foundation that conserved its archives and made them available for investigations.

The Bishop was also chosen by then-President Ricardo Lagos to lead a commission probing politically motivated detentions and torture under the Pinochet government.  It is estimated that Pinochet’s regime was responsible for over 3,000 civilian deaths and 28,000 cases of torture.

There has been a tremendous outpouring of public mourning and appreciation.  Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said that Aldunate was “the voice of the voiceless during the dark night of the dictatorship. He turned into a rights defender, and was a man who saved many lives.”  Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz, Archbishop of Santiago stated that “[Aldunate] was an example of simple life, very poor, not wanting anything for himself… an exemplary Chilean…  He was always in the frontline for the reconciliation of his homeland.”

The online La Nacion newspaper called Aldunate “the most important figure of the cause of human rights during the military regime.”

The Bishop’s funeral was celebrated on Friday in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago; the same place Aldunate was consecrated at in 1973.

For more information, please see:

Independent Catholic News – Chile Bids Farewell to Bishop Valech – 25 November 2010

Fox News Latino – Chilean Bishop who Defended Human Rights Dies – 24 November 2010

Latin American Herald Tribune – Chilean Bishop who Defended Human Rights Dies – 24 November 2010

By R. Renee Yaworsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela—The president of a pro-opposition Venezuelan television network who has been in exile from his country is now seeking asylum in the United States.  According to that president, the procedure for obtaining political asylum is nearing completion.

Sixty-seven year old Guillermo Zuloaga, the owner of the Globovision television channel, escaped from Venezuela back in June of this year in order to evade arrest by authorities.  The authorities claim that Zuloaga was involved in the illegal sales of automobiles and have subsequently seized his property.

In an interview on Wednesday, Zuloaga told CNN’s Spanish language channel that the criminal charges against him were pretexts and that the true reason he was sought by Venezuelan officials is because he is being politically persecuted.  Zuloaga had had a falling out with Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez earlier in the year as Globovision remained a voice of opposition.

President Chavez spoke at a government event on Wednesday which was broadcast on state television.  During his speech, Chavez denied that Zuloaga was being oppressed for political reasons.  Chavez labeled Zuloaga a “bandit” and opined that he was in cahoots with the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Zuloaga said that although he would like to live again in Venezuela, Chavez’s government there is authoritarian and rules by intimidation by controlling the justice system.  He denied that he had been involved in a 100 million dollar plot to assassinate President Chavez, calling those allegations a “smokescreen.”

During a speech in Washington, Zuloaga declared to Chavez:  “President, I do not want you dead.  I want you healthy so as to see you when you stand before Venezuelans, and perhaps beyond our borders, for your government’s bad rule and the vast fortune you have wasted.”

Globovision remains on air despite its criticism of the government.  Chavez has attempted to interfere with the network but as of yet has been unable to completely silence it.

The National Journalists’ Association (CNP) has spoken out against Chavez’s threats against Globovision.  Earlier this year, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights announced that it remains concerned about Venezuela’s use of punitive power of the state to silence voices of opposition.

For more information, please see:

RTT-Venezuela’s Globovision TV Network Boss Seeks US Asylum-26 November 2010

Voice of America-Venezuelan TV Executive Seeks Asylum in US-25 November 2010

Mail Online-Venezuelan TV boss stokes row with Chavez after denying being behind $100m assassination plot-25 November 2010

By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile – Last week, 33 Chilean women collectively entered a mine to protest the end of a jobs bill, which created thousands of jobs for citizens to rebuild infrastructure following a devastating earthquake.  Initially, regional officials vowed to have open dialogue with the protesters to peacefully end the demonstration.  Making good on their promise, government officials have reached an agreement with the hunger-striking women, bringing the ordeal to an end.

The women, who occupied the Chiflon del Diablo mine in Lota, were demanding reinstatement of the jobs bill; however, it was initially unclear whether this would be something that the government could realistically do.  Bio Bio’s regional governor Jacqueline van Rysselberghe reported that the women have given up their hunger strike after government officials promised to find them public-works jobs in the local municipalities.

In addition to the public-works jobs, the agreement includes job training for the women.  The agreement will also have ramifications that extend beyond the 33 women participating in the demonstration.  According to van Rysselberghe, 2,000 new jobs will be created to help those who lost their job with the ending of the jobs bill.

It is estimated that the February earthquake caused $30 billion in damage.  The jobs bill was created to put Chileans to work rebuilding homes and infrastructure.  It is also estimated that the legislature’s failure to reauthorize the jobs bill resulted in upwards of 12,000 people losing their government-created jobs.

It cannot be doubted that the 33 women made significant strides in helping those who lost their jobs; however, with only 2,000 new jobs being created, many Chileans are still left without a means of employment.

For more information, please see:

Latin American Herald Tribune – Jobless Hunger-Strikers Reach Accord with Chilean Governmen – 23 November 2010

Presna Latina – Chile: Women Abandon Hunger Strike – 23 November 2010

Monstersandcritics.com – Chilean Authorities Willing to Talk to 33 Hunger-Strikers in Mine – 19 November 2010